Protection Program for Research Participants Receives Accreditation
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – April 26, 2011 – Wake Forest School of Medicine’s Human Research Protection Program has received accreditation from The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP).
Only three percent of the 6,796 organized Institutional Review Boards worldwide are accredited programs.
“Sponsors, collaborators and subjects can be assured by this credential that research conducted here is appropriately vetted, properly monitored, and that the highest standards of review and compliance are enforced to ensure subject safety,” said Joseph Andrews, M.A., C.I.P., director of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) & Human Research Protection Program at Wake Forest School of Medicine.
An independent, non-profit accrediting body, AAHRPP ensures that research programs with human participants meet rigorous standards to guarantee the safety of those participating and to continuously improve the quality of research programs. To earn accreditation from the AAHRPP, organizations must provide tangible evidence, through policies, procedures and practices, of their commitment to scientifically and ethically sound research and to continuous improvement.
“By reaching accredited status, we are joining the company of such institutions as Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill,” said Andrews. “Accredited organizations such as these represent research institutions which are widely respected as leaders in the field. By meeting the same accreditation standards they have met, we have shown that our research protection program is world class as well.”
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