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Research Oversight & Ethics

Stem Cell Research Oversight (SCRO) Committee

The Stem Cell Research Oversight (SCRO) Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of UW-Madison Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research policies and procedures, as well as the review of the SCRO Committee Initial Application Form that must be submitted to be enrolled in the UW-Madison hESC Registry and to ensure approval of covered research activities. The SCRO Committee provides oversight for all research on campus or involving campus faculty or staff that involves either:

  • The use of hESCs or their derivatives; or
  • The introduction of hPSCs, or their derivatives, obtained from a non-embryonic source, into non-human animals at any embryonic, fetal, or postnatal stage, if an expected effect is that human cells will be integrated into the central nervous system, testes, or ovaries of the animal; or
  • All research that (a) involves pre-implantation stages of human development, human embryos, or embryo-derived cells; or (b) entails the production of human gametes in vitro when such gametes are tested by fertilization or used for the creation of embryos; or
  • the storage or disposition of human embryos or gametes obtained for the purposes of stem cell research.

This oversight is in addition to the oversight that might be provided by other committees on campus, such as the Institutional Review Boards, the Biosafety Review Board, and the Animal Care and Use Committees. SCRO Committee oversight applies regardless of the source of funding and the applicability of federal regulations.

Questions? Please call the SCRO Manager at 608-890-2468. The SCRO Manager is available weekdays to answer questions concerning stem cell training, consult on SCRO application preparation, and help researchers respond to SCRO requests and questions.

Committee Members

Links for More Information on UW-SCRO Committee