Seven groups launch accrediting organization for human research protection programs

Seven groups launch accrediting organization for human research protection programs

On May 23, founders announced the formation of the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP). This is a new nonprofit organization that will offer accreditation to institutions engaged in research involving human participants using a voluntary, peer-driven, educational model. In response to increased public scrutiny of such research, the AAHRPP (pronounced Ay-Harp) seeks both to ensure compliance and raise the bar in human research protections by helping institutions reach standards that surpass the threshold of state and federal requirements.

AAHRPP is the creation of seven nonprofit founding member organizations representing the leadership of universities, medical schools, and teaching hospitals; biomedical, behavioral, and social scientists; and patient and disease advocacy organizations. They are: the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Association of American Universities, the Consortium of Social Science Associations, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, the National Health Council, and Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research.

AAHRPP will begin pilot-testing its standards this summer and plans to become operational in January, sponsors announced May 23. Institutions seeking AAHRPP accreditation must conduct a rigorous self-assessment of their research policies and practices, followed by a site visit from AAHRPP accreditors, who will be experts in human research protections. The accreditation process determines whether an institution meets AAHRPP standards and encourages the institution to continuously improve its human research protection programs.

A 21-member board of directors, including representatives from organizations concerned with human participants research, patient representatives, and community stakeholders, will oversee the accreditation process. The board members have not yet been identified. The sponsoring groups are currently collecting resumes for the president's position.

Institutions that seek accreditation will be expected to perform a self-assessment of their own human-subject-protection policies and procedures. AAHRPP will then conduct site visits by acknowledged professionals who can evaluate those programs and advise institutions on ways to improve. The site-visit reports will be analyzed internally by AAHRPP, and the board of directors will have the final say over whether to grant accreditation for a specified period of time. When that period is over, the institution will have to go through the accreditation process again.

AAHRPP has been incorporated in Maryland as a nonprofit organization and will be located in Rockville, Md. The organization expects to begin pilot-testing its standards by late summer and be fully operational by January 2002. For further information, contact: Todd Bentsen, AAMC Office of Communications, (202)828-0989, tbentsen@aamc.org.