Accreditation Status
Categories of Accreditation for New Applicants
Before a decision is made about accreditation status, an application for accreditation is considered to be pending and is referred to as Application-Pending. Following the site visit, the Council on Accreditation makes a decision about accreditation based on the Draft Site Visit Report, the Organization’s response, and the evaluation of the response. The Council on Accreditation may place the Organization in one of four categories.
For new applicants, the categories of accreditation status are Full Accreditation and Qualified Accreditation.
Full Accreditation: An Organization placed in this category meets all the accreditation Standards. AAHRPP awards Full Accreditation for three years, which commences on the date AAHRPP makes the award.
Qualified Accreditation: An Organization placed in this category meets almost all the accreditation Standards. Issues requiring corrective action are minor and administrative in nature. AAHRPP awards Qualified Accreditation for three years, which commences on the date AAHRPP makes the award. However, if the issues requiring corrective action are resolved before the next triennial site visit, the Council on Accreditation, upon acceptance of the corrective actions, may award Full Accreditation for the remainder of the period of accreditation.
Accreditation Withheld: An Organization placed in this category does not meet a substantial number of accreditation Standards and the Council on Accreditation believes that the Organization will not commit to undertake corrective action or otherwise be unable to meet the criteria for Qualified or Full Accreditation in a reasonable time. When accreditation is withheld, an Organization may reapply at its own discretion; the application will be accepted only if the Organization has made corrective actions and appears to be accreditable.
Accreditation-Pending: The Council on Accreditation places an Organization in the Accreditation-Pending category until it decides to award Full or Qualified Accreditation or to Withhold Accreditation. The Council on Accreditation may place an Organization in the Accreditation-Pending category when the Organization does not meet the criteria for Full or Qualified Accreditation, and the Council believes the Organization is able and willing to commit to take corrective actions to meet the criteria for accreditation within a reasonable time period. An Organization that the Council places in the Accreditation-Pending category must submit an Improvement Plan within the time specified by the Council, usually three months from the date of the Council decision. Alternatively, the Organization may make all corrective changes within the specified time. Based on the Improvement Plan, the Council may extend the length of time until the accreditation determination will be made, usually eight months (two Council meeting cycles). Based on progress reports and the continued commitment of the Organization, the Council may further postpone a final accreditation determination. At its option, the Council decides whether an additional site visit or other actions are required before making a final accreditation determination.
Categories of Accreditation for Renewing Applicants
Before the end of the accreditation period, an Organization must reapply and be revisited. Following the site visit, the Council on Accreditation makes a decision about the renewing applicant based on the Step 2 application, Draft Site Visit Report, the Organization’s response, and the evaluation of the response. The Council on Accreditation may place the applicant in one of four categories.
For renewing applicants, the category of accreditation status is Full Accreditation.
Full Accreditation: An Organization placed in this category continues to meet all the accreditation Standards. AAHRPP awards Full Accreditation for five years, which commences on the date AAHRPP makes the award.
Probation: The Council on Accreditation places an Organization on probation when the Organization does not meet the criteria for Full Accreditation and can not make changes within a reasonable time period, usually three months; or does not satisfy the Council that the Organization is taking corrective actions as proposed in the Improvement Plan. An Organization placed in the Probation category must submit an Improvement Plan within three months. Based on the Improvement Plan, the Council determines the length of time until another accreditation determination will be made, usually eight months (two Council meeting cycles). Based on progress reports and the continued commitment of the Organization, the Council may award Full Accreditation, keep an Organization on Probation, or Revoke Accreditation. At its option, the Council decides whether an additional site visit or other actions are required before making a final accreditation determination.
Accreditation Revoked: The Council on Accreditation revokes accreditation when the Organization does not meet the criteria for Full Accreditation, and the Council believes the Organization has demonstrated an inability or unwillingness to take effective corrective action. It may revoke accreditation at any time, without a revisit. In general, an Organization in this category was placed initially on Probation and did not take the actions to meet the timeline described in its Improvement Plan. Accreditation may also be revoked by AAHRPP when an Organization does not pay its fees within six months of date of invoice.
Reaccreditation-Pending: The Council on Accreditation places an Organization in the Reaccreditation-Pending category until it decides to award Full Accreditation, place the Organization on Probation, or to Revoke Accreditation. The Council on Accreditation may place an Organization in the Reaccreditation-Pending category when the Organization does not meet the criteria for Full Accreditation, and the Council believes the Organization is able and willing to commit to take corrective actions to meet the criteria for accreditation within a reasonable time period. Based on the corrective actions, the Council decides whether to grant Full Accreditation, or place the Organization on probation.
Granting or Denying Accreditation
The AAHRPP Board of Directors has the ultimate authority to review all applications and site visit reports and determine the accreditation status of an Organization, subject to the right to appeal otherwise provided for in these Procedures.
The Board of Directors delegates to the Council on Accreditation the role, responsibilities, and authorities to facilitate the efficient operation of the accreditation program. The Council on Accreditation, comprised of experienced site visitors, reviews all site visit reports and makes a determination regarding accreditation status. The Council on Accreditation meets no less than four times annually.
Publication of Accreditation Status
AAHRPP publishes the name of the Organization, a short description of the Organization, the name and e-mail address of a designated contact person, its category of accreditation, and the date it was accredited. In addition, AAHRPP encourages the accredited Organization to publicize its accreditation with AAHRPP. When an Organization publicizes its accreditation status, it must specify its accreditation category.
AAHRPP does not release information about an Organization that is in the process of seeking accreditation or that has been placed in the Accreditation-Pending or Accreditation Withheld categories.
AAHRPP does not release information about an Organization that is in the process of renewing its accreditation or that has been placed in the Reaccreditation-Pending category. An Organization that is placed in the Reaccreditation-Pending category remains on the published list of accredited Organizations. Once the Council makes a final accreditation determination, the Organization remains on the published list if re-accredited or is removed if the Organization is placed on Probation or has Accreditation Revoked.
From the published list of accredited organizations, AAHRPP removes the name of an Organization placed on Probation or that has Accreditation Revoked. AAHRPP only releases information that the Organization is not in one of the two categories that hold accreditation status and refers inquirers to the Organization in question.
Certificates of Accreditation
AAHRPP issues a Certificate of Accreditation to each Organization that receives Full Accreditation or Qualified Accreditation. If an Organization has its accreditation revoked, the Certificate of Accreditation must be returned to AAHRPP. Organizations that are placed in Accreditation-Pending are not entitled to receive Certificates of Accreditation.
Display or use of any outdated, revoked, defaced or fraudulent AAHRPP certificate or of facsimiles that might deceive or mislead prospective participants, sponsors, or other persons, is considered a serious offense with the potential for harming the public confidence in research and the research protection system. Appropriate legal action may be taken by AAHRPP based on the facts of any such deception.
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