Investigator-Related Frequently Asked Questions
nPOD Project Applications and Addendums
I would like to receive nPOD tissues. What do I need to do?
Please complete the nPOD Project Application Form. The form is the same for new and existing Investigators, as well as for new project applications and addendum applications. Your application will be reviewed by the Tissue Prioritization Committee. Along with the application, you will need the following:
- NIH-formatted biosketch for all Investigators listed on the application
- IRB/ethical approval or exemption documentation
- Material Transfer Agreement
I am preparing an application to become a member of the nPOD consortium. I need to know how many donor groups are available to request on my initial application. Where can I find this information?
You can view the exact count of each donor group available from nPOD on our Donor Groups webpage.
When do I need to submit an addendum to my original application?
If you are doing one or more of the following, please submit an addendum:
- Adding a Co-Investigator
- Changing the donor type you were originally approved to receive
- Changing the sample type you were originally approved to receive
- Requesting tissue(s) that you were not originally approved to receive
Sample Inquiries and Requests
I would like to see which types of samples are available. How do I get this information?
Please submit a Password Request Form to receive a password for our Online Pathology Database. A member of the nPOD Administrative Staff will email you shortly with your account login information. You can also visit our website to find more information on concentrations and sample types available from nPOD.
Where can I find H&E/IHC images and selected demographic and clinical data on nPOD samples?
Please visit our Online Pathology Database to find this information. You will need a username and password to log in to the database. Please see the previous question on how to receive a password.
I would like to request Medalist tissues. Is there a special procedure for doing that?
If you were originally approved for Medalist tissues, you can request these cases in DataShare. If you were not originally approved for these tissues, you must submit an addendum to your original application. Please provide a justification as to how Medalist tissues are relevant to your current nPOD project.
I was recently approved to receive tissues. How do I request them?
You can request samples in DataShare. We recommend you view our Online Pathology Database first to determine which samples you’d like to request. If you need assistance selecting samples, please contact Dr. Irina Kusmartseva.
I just received a shipment of nPOD tissues. Is there anything I need to do?
Please fill out the Investigator Feedback Form. This form is required for every distribution you receive from nPOD. This helps us continue to provide quality service for all nPOD investigators.
Miscellaneous
I need a copy of your IRB approval letter for my institutional IRB. Where can I find this?
Please visit our website to find a copy of our IRB approval letter.
I would like to receive nPOD updates. How can I do that?
Please sign up for our quarterly investigator newsletters on our website.
Who should I contact if I have any questions or concerns?
Please email nPOD Investigator Coordinator, Lisa Turk.
How do you process your tissues?
Please visit our Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) webpage to find protocols on how all our samples are processed.
What other projects has nPOD accepted into the consortium?
Please visit our website to find the numerous and varied projects that are currently being performed with nPOD tissues.
I am about to present an abstract and/or publish a paper using nPOD tissues. Is there anything I need to do?
We kindly ask that you submit an Abstract and Publication Submission Form so that we can highlight your scholarship on our website. Please also follow nPOD’s Publication Policy. In short, we ask that you acknowledge the project using the examples found on our website. We also ask that you use nPOD standard nomenclature when identifying the samples within your manuscript. For example, instead of referring to a case as a T1D donor, please use the actual case number, e.g., 6052. If you use images from our Online Pathology Database, please use standard nPOD nomenclature as mentioned above and acknowledge the project with one of the following statements:
Acknowledgment Statement:
- “This research was performed with the support of the Network for Pancreatic Organ donors with Diabetes (nPOD; RRID:SCR_014641), a collaborative type 1 diabetes research project supported by JDRF (nPOD: 5-SRA-2018-557-Q-R) and The Leona M. & Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust (Grant#2018PG-T1D053). The content and views expressed are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official view of nPOD. Organ Procurement Organizations (OPO) partnering with nPOD to provide research resources are listed at https://npod.org/for-partners/npod-partners/.”
Acknowledgment Statement (If ONLY images from the nPOD online pathology site are used in the manuscript):
- “Images in this manuscript were provided by Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD) online pathology site. nPOD is a collaborative type 1 diabetes research project supported by JDRF and the Helmsley Charitable Trust. Organ Procurement Organizations partnering with nPOD to provide research resources are listed at https://npod.org/for-partners/npod-partners/.”