The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services acknowledges that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing disruption to the businesses and research institutions that receive funding from the Public Health Service (PHS). During this period, ORI continues to perform mission critical functions and operations with ORI staff exercising maximum telework flexibilities. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ORI is experiencing delays in receiving and processing physical deliveries to the office. To avoid delays, electronic file transfer provides delivery from a secured, cloud-based file sharing and storage service (which is more secure than emailing files with confidential information). Many institutions have used these systems for years, while others have adopted them more recently. Regardless, the institutional system should comply with institutional privacy, legal, and security requirements.

Presently, ORI will accept institutional submissions of assessment, inquiry, or investigation reports, and associated files and documentation via these secured, cloud-based file-sharing services.  ORI will continue to accept physical deliveries.  However, for expedience of file transmission, institutions should provide a shared file or folder link, or provide instructions to access and download the files, to:

Ray Fisher, Records Management Specialist, at Raymond.Fisher@hhs.gov and

Tracy Sumner, Program Analyst, at Tracy.Sumner@hhs.gov

In Spring 2021, ORI plans to launch an online file transfer and collaboration cloud-based system. If you have questions, or if you already have sent a physical package that may be in transit, please directly correspond with the two ORI contacts listed above or leave a phone message at (240) 453-8800.