HHSA Research
HHSA has an established process for the authorization of requests to conduct research involving HHSA resources and to monitor ongoing research activities. All persons, organizations, and institutions planning to conduct research involving County of San Diego HHSA resources shall obtain written authorization from the Director of the associated HHSA Department/Office, HHSA Compliance representative, and the Director of the Office of Strategy and Innovation (OSI) prior to the start of the research and when there are amendments to research practices, policy, data, or timelines.
This site is intended to provide detailed instructions on how to navigate the HHSA research request process for both the interested researcher and the involved internal Department/Office(s). Please refer to the below sections most applicable to you for further information.
On this page:
All persons, organizations, and institutions planning to conduct research involving County of San Diego HHSA resources must submit all applicable documents specified in the policy/procedure to the impacted Departments/Office(s). The HHSA Department/Office(s) shall be the primary point of contact for all interested parties and will conduct the initial application review based on their internal process. Each respective Department/Office may develop additional internal policies and/or procedures that are more specific as necessary to guide the research review and oversight in their organizations. Research applications will additionally be reviewed by HHSA OSI and HHSA Compliance, similarly based on their internal policies and/or procedures. The final application decision will be communicated to the interested party by the appropriate Department/Office.
Overview of Steps
Step 1: Review Guidelines for Authorizing Research
Using HHSA Resources, Identify Department/Office(s) of interest to
conduct research with, and contact appropriate Department/Office(s)
about research idea (see Contact List below).
Guidelines for Authorizing Research Using HHSA Resources
Step 2: Download and complete documents needed for research application (Appendix A), with the Adobe Acrobat desktop application. Refer to Department/Office(s) contact for assistance.
Appendix A | Application/Instructions for Researcher
*If there are issues with opening the above Appendix A document,
please refer to the FAQs section of this
website for additional assistance.
Step 3: Submit application documents to the appropriate Department/Office(s) contact for review and approval.
Please view the Process Map for Researchers for more information.
Parties who are interested in conducting research using HHSA resources shall be directed to submit all applicable documents to the impacted Department/Office(s). Each Department/Office(s) shall utilize their internal policies and/or procedures to complete an initial application review. For approved applications, an HHSA Research Request Form (link) must be completed by the Department/Office to inform HHSA OSI of a new research request. HHSA OSI will conduct an application review, based on their own policies and/or procedures and forward to HHSA Compliance for review, once approved. All communication regarding HHSA research applications will be between HHSA OSI, Compliance, and the impacted Department/Office(s) and the final application decision will be communicated to the interested party by the appropriate Department/Office. For approved applications, researchers will continue to work with the Department/Office(s) to commence HHSA Agreements, if applicable, and provide the ongoing requirements for the duration of study.
Overview of Steps
Step 1: Serve as the point of contact for Researcher and provide assistance on application documents as needed.
Step 2: Review and determine research request application and all associated documentation required.
Step 3: Complete HHSA Research Submission Form to submit research request application, all associated documentation from the Researcher, and the HHSA Data Fields Request.
Detailed instructions can be found in Appendix B linked below.
Appendix B | Instructions for Department/Office(s)
HHSA Data Fields Request | Source system(s) used and data fields to be provided to researcher
Please view the Process Map for Department/Office(s) for more information.
Please refer to the HHSA Research Application Decision Tree to determine whether a research application is needed.
Below are downloadable and printable documents for authorizing research using HHSA Resources.
- Guidelines for Authorizing Research Using HHSA Resources
- Applications Documents
- Appendix A | Application/Instructions for Researchers
- Appendix B | Instructions for Department/Office(s)
- Appendix C | Amendment Form for Research
- HHSA Data Fields Request | Source system(s) used & data fields to be provided to researcher
Below are the contacts of the HHSA Department/Office(s) for inquiries about research.
Department/Office: Aging & Independence Services Contact: Ellie Klee Email: Ellie.Klee1@sdcounty.ca.gov |
Department/Office: Child
and Family Well-Being
Contact: Balambal Bharti |
Department/Office: Housing
and Community Development Services
Contact: Julio Villarreal |
Department/Office: Medical
Care Services
Contact: Jamie Beam Email: Jamie.Beam@sdcounty.ca.gov |
Department/Office: Self-Sufficiency
Services-Office
of Military & Veterans Affairs
Contact: Alejandra Gutierrez |
Department/Office: Behavioral Health Services Contact: BHS Research Team |
Department/Office: First 5 Contact: Hunter Watson |
Department/Office: Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities Contact: Angela Fang Email: Angela.Fang@sdcounty.ca.gov |
Department/Office: Public Health Services Contact: Seema Shah Email: Seema.Shah@sdcounty.ca.gov |
HHSA Research FAQs
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How do I determine whether my project is considered Research or Evaluation?
Our HHSA Research team focuses on research as outlined in HHSA Policy H-4 and it is required that all research requests go through the HHSA Research application process and meet all outlined requirements. Please refer to the HHSA Research Application Decision Tree to determine whether your request is considered research. The role of our HHSA Research team is to assist with the HHSA research process, however, the initial determination as to whether something is considered research or not comes from the expertise of the department. Additional resources to determine whether a request constitues as research:
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Office of Human Research Protections: OHRP
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HIPAA, Research: Research | HHS.gov and Human Subject Regulations Decision Charts: 2018 Requirements | HHS.gov
Currently, there is no HHSA policy in place for Evaluation projects.
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How do I start a research project?
Review Instructions for Researcher and Overview of Steps.
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Who do I contact to start a research project?
Review the Department/Office(s) Contacts list to determine what Department/Office(s) you would like to conduct research with.
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Where can I submit my application?
Contact the liason(s) in the Department/Office(s) you are applying with to conduct research to submit your application with them.
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Is the research process different for a County employee or Contractor?
The research process is the same for everyone, whether it be an internal or external request.
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What is the expected timeframe for a research application?
The research application processing time varies depending on the review requirements of each Department/Office as well as OSI, Office of Business Assurance & Compliance, and any applicable agreements that need to be put in place. OSI reserves 30 days for initial review after receiving a complete and approved application from a Department/Office.
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Why is my project approval experiencing delays?
Inconsistencies between the research application and supporting documentations can delay the overall approval process. Any delays due to this can potentially restart the approval timeline. Please refer to the Process Maps for Researchers and Department/Office(s).
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How do I get my project extended?
Contact the liason(s) in the Department/Office(s) you are applying with to conduct research to discuss an extension.
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Does HHSA grant or work with educational institutions for IRB approval?
The researcher must pursue IRB approval on their own. HHSA does not grant IRB approval or work with any institutions to do so.
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Does HHSA review applications without an IRB approval?
All research applications must include an IRB review and approval. If the IRB review results in an IRB exemption then the IRB review package in which the exemption was obtained must be submitted in lieu of an IRB approval.
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Why am I receiving an error message when attempting to open Appendix A |
Application/Instructions for Researcher?
Appendix A is an PDF form that utilizes dynamic features. Due to this, this document is required to be downloaded and opened with the Adobe Acrobat desktop application. Download the file by navigating to the document. Right click to save link as or alternatively open the file and download to your local computer. Open the file with the Adobe desktop application, not through your browser.
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How long does the Office of Business Assurance & Compliance take to
review research submissions?
The Office of Business Assurance & Compliance is given up to 30 days from OSI submission date to review all research applications.
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Are expedited research application reviews possible for students with
looming deadlines?
Research applications marked as “Rush Requests” will be prioritized for review from the HHSA Research team. This prioritization of review does not apply to any other reviewing party, such as the Office of Business Assurance & Compliance.
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Are all research projects and evaluations tracked by HHSA, where are
they tracked, and how are they tracked?
For Agency awareness, all HHSA Research projects and evaluations are internally tracked by the HHSA Research team. This information is shared at the quarterly HHSA Research and Evaluation subcommittee meeting and per request basis.
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What is the publication process for research?
All publications that are the results of research utilizing any HHSA resources should be communicated to the HHSA Research team. Please contact AEO for guidelines regarding publications.
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Is there a standard HHSA MOA or MOU for research?
There is no current standard HHSA MOA or MOU for research specifically. Please refer to ACS HHSA-G-1.9 for HHSA Agreement policy.
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