First federal research labs to seek AAHRPP accreditation

Contact: Todd Bentsen
(202) 783-8133
tbentsen@aahrpp.org

For Immediate Release
First federal research labs to seek AAHRPP accreditation
Washington, D.C., December 2, 2003— A number of Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories will apply for accreditation from the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc.,® (AAHRPP®) in 2004, AAHRPP announced today. DOE is the first federal agency to ask for AAHRPP accreditation for its research programs.

"Because they conduct a significant amount of human research, government agencies are a key constituency for AAHRPP accreditation, and we are very pleased to see the Department of Energy step forward," said Marjorie Speers, Ph.D., AAHRPP Executive Director. "DOE is playing an important leadership role in addressing the public's concern that research be conducted safely and ethically."

The first step in the DOE accreditation process is a workshop that will be held Dec. 8 at AAHRPP headquarters in Washington, D.C., co-organized with DOE. Especially designed to address the types of research conducted at DOE labs, the workshop will provide a baseline understanding of the accreditation process to laboratory personnel, and an opportunity to initiate their organizational self-assessments, the first step in the process.

The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc., (AAHRPP) is a nonprofit organization that offers accreditation to institutions engaged in research involving human participants. More information is available at www.aahrpp.org.

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