Human Research Protection Program
Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) Accreditation
Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) Accreditation
The UGA HRPP Application for Reaccreditation is due 6/15/2025!
First accredited by AAHRPP in June 2018, UGA’s Human Research Protection Program received full reaccreditation in 2022.
With this accreditation, UGA joins an elite group of institutions around the world that are committed to promoting AAHRPP’s high standards for ethical research that prioritizes the safety and welfare of participants.
About AAHRPP and Accreditation
AAHRPP (pronounced “a-harp”) is an independent, non-profit organization that accredits high-quality human research protection programs in order to promote excellent, ethically sound research. To earn accreditation, organizations must provide tangible evidence—through policies, procedures, and practices—of their commitment to scientifically and ethically sound human research and to continuous improvement.
AAHRPP accreditation uses a set of objective standards to evaluate the quality and level of protection that an organization provides to research participants. The process is based on self-assessment, peer assessment, and continuous quality improvement.
The goals of AAHRPP accreditation are to:
- Improve and strengthen the systems that protect the rights and welfare of individuals who participate in research
- Communicate to the public the strength of UGA’s commitment to the protection of human research participants
The benefits of accreditation extend beyond the research subjects and to the research enterprise as a whole. To find out more about the value of accreditation, visit AAHRPP: Why Accreditation Matters – Overview.
The Accreditation Process
There are four (4) major steps in the accreditation process.
The first step is a comprehensive self-assessment and submission of the Step 1 application, which also included the development of new or revised policies and procedures.
The application is reviewed and a response to the review along with any revised supporting documents is submitted as Step 2 Application.
This is then followed by a site visit from AAHRPP to evaluate our human research protections program.
*UGA’s reaccreditation site visit will take place in 2025 during the Fall semester.
AAHRPP selects the individuals to be interviewed. Anyone who has a role in UGA’s HRPP may be selected for an interview; this includes principal investigators and research team members, IRB members and Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) Office staff.
Finally, AAHRPP’s Council of Accreditation will review the site visit report at its June 2026 meeting.
For more information on AAHRPP, see https://www.aahrpp.org/.
The UGA Human Research Protection Program
Although the Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a major component in the protection of research participants, it is important to remember that it is the University’s Human Research Protection Program (or HRPP) that will undergo review and accreditation.
The HRPP is not an office, but rather the collective effort by all of the components that participate in the conduct, review, approval, education, quality improvement, and facilitation of human research at UGA to ensure that UGA complies with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations and requirements and fosters a culture of ethical research.
For an overview of UGA’s HRPP, please view this short presentation.
An HRPP Plan provides detailed information about the organization, scope, and its various components and responsibilities. UGA HRPP Policies and Procedures can be found in the UGA Policy Library
For a quick overview of AAHRPP, the accreditation process, and your role in the accreditation process, please view this presentation.
FAQs
AAHRPP, the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc., is an independent, non-profit organization that reviews and accredits institutions engaged in human subjects research to protect the rights and welfare of the research participants.
AAHRPP accreditation bolsters the university’s reputation as a leader in human subjects research. Research sponsors and other research partners increasingly consider AAHRPP accreditation before pursuing collaborations, or providing funding, for research.
For additional information on the value of accreditation, see AAHRPP: Why Accreditation Matters – Overview.
AAHRPP will select the individuals to be interviewed based on the protocols list and key HRPP personnel submitted with the accreditation application. Investigators will be selected who reflect the ranges of experience, protocol volume, types of ongoing research, and research risk levels at the organization. In addition to investigators, site visitors will interview study coordinators, co-investigators, and other study team members. Key HRPP personnel, IRB Members, and HRPP Office staff will also be interviewed.
AAHRPP will select the individuals to be interviewed based on the protocols list and key HRPP personnel submitted with the accreditation application. Investigators will be selected who reflect the ranges of experience, protocol volume, types of ongoing research, and research risk levels at the organization. For example, the site visitors may want to interview investigators who research special populations like children or prisoners. In addition to investigators, site visitors will interview study coordinators, co-investigators, and other study team members.
AAHRPP is interested in your awareness of and knowledge about key human research concepts and policies, including, but not limited to:
- Human research regulations such as the Common Rule (45 CFR 46), FDA regulations, the Belmont Report, and Conflict of Interest Policies
- Participant protections and the procedures you use to implement them such as elements of informed consent, strategies for minimizing risk, reporting of adverse event and unanticipated problems
- The strength and effectiveness of the HRPP, including education and training, adequacy of resources for researchers, and HRPP structure
NOTE: The specific questions you will be asked by the AAHRPP site visitors will depend upon your role within the UGA HRPP.
- If you have been selected for the AAHRPP site visit interview, the Research Compliance/Human Subjects Office staff will help prepare you for the interview.
- View the following short powerpoint presentations:
- HRPP Presentation – An overview of UGA’s HRPP and its various components
- AAHRPP Presentation – An overview of the accreditation process and your role in the accreditation process
- Review the HRPP policies and procedures that are available in the UGA Policy Library.
For questions or additional information contact Kim Fowler at 706-542-5318 or kfowler@uga.edu.