One of my favorite parts of attending PRIM&R's annual Advancing Ethical Research Conference is that it refocuses my efforts on what really matters. In the year since the last conference, I've processed countless exempt 2 determinations, requests for waivers of signed consent, and study team member modifications. I have been doing this while also contributing to new institutional policies and procedures, software requirements, and workflows in order to comply with the revised Common Rule. Some days, we all feel drowned in an ocean of regulations and rules—some days, we all get the Regulatory Robot Blues. However, the first keynote speaker at the 2017 Social, Behavioral, and Educational Research Conference reminded me of why human subjects research protection is my passion. Read more