A new Office of Human Subjects Research Protections (OHSRP) policy for enrolling non-English speaking research participants went into effect on March 1, 2024. The policy states that if enrollment of non-English speaking individuals is anticipated, the consent forms must be translated into the languages of the persons the study team anticipates enrolling. The intent behind this policy change is to establish truly informed decision making and to promote safety and equity in the clinical trials.

Recognizing that this new requirement may add a burden to research teams, OHSRP partnered with the Office of Intramural Research (OIR) and the NIH Library to help cover costs for research teams in the first year of implementation. OIR will cover 50% of the initial translation cost into a new language if done by the NIH Library's Translation services. Note that OIR will not reimburse for subsequent modifications in the same language or for translations conducted by external vendors or resources outside the NIH Library.

Learn more about the OHSRP policy in this 1-hour videocast presentation (HHS only)

Request a translation or information about translations from the NIH Library

Access the NIH HRPP policy  on informed consent and additional guidance on this new policy requirement

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