AAHRPP Accreditation

The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) is an independent accrediting organization that uses a peer-driven evaluation and education process to ensure institutional Human Research Protection Programs (HRPP), such as U-M’s HRPP, establish and maintain rigorous standards of protections for human research participants.

AAHRPP accreditation is a signal to our research community, our worldwide collaborators, and our research sponsors that U-M strives to protect human research participants through the continual improvement of the ethical and professional conduct of research.

U-M’s HRPP has maintained AAHRPP accreditation since 2008. Accredited organizations must renew AAHRPP accreditation three years after initial accreditation and every five years thereafter. The U-M HRPP was last awarded full accreditation in 2021. Re-accreditation demonstrates to AAHRPP and to ourselves that we provide superior protection to the human participants of U-M research!

The U-M HRPP is currently preparing for our next reaccreditation.

The AAHRPP 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. As part of the self-assessment, the HRPP Operations Manual is updated.
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 protection program. AAHRPP selects the individuals to be interviewed. Anyone who has a role in U-M’s HRPP may be selected for an interview; this includes principal investigators and research team members, IRB members and administrative staff supporting U-M’s HRPP.
Finally, AHRPP’s Council of Accreditation will review the site visit report where they deliberate on the team’s findings and determine our accreditation status.

Accreditation Timeline

Step 1 – Application	Submitted – June 15, 2025
Step 2 – Response
Step 3 – AAHRPP Site Visit
Step 4 – Review

FAQs

AAHRPP the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, is an independent 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.

The site visit involves a team of individuals from accredited organizations who evaluate how U-M HRPP policies and procedures are operationalized through document review and interviews with key personnel. The site visit team will provide written feedback about any areas that need to be addressed to meet accreditation standards.

AAHRPP will select the individuals to be interviewed based on the active protocol information and list of key U-M HRPP personnel submitted with the accreditation application. Investigators, Study Coordinators, Co-Investigators, and other study team members will be interviewed. Key HRPP personnel, IRB Members, and HRPP and IRB staff will also be interviewed.

AAHRPP is interested in your awareness of and knowledge about key human research regulations and policies. Questions could also focus on your research and knowledge of HRPP policies and procedures.

I am selected for the interview. How can I prepare for it?

If you have been selected for the AAHRPP site visit interview, the U-M HRPP staff will notify you via email and help prepare you for the interview. Educational materials, including interview guides, will also be posted to this webpage.

The U-M Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) is an integrated university-wide program that supports all those who are involved in human subjects research in some way at U-M – from study coordinators to the Vice President for Research.

The HRPP’s central mission is:

To protect the rights and welfare of human research participants by promoting compliance with ethical and regulatory standards promulgated by the:
- Belmont Report
- The Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (aka “Common Rule”)
- Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP)
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Good Clinical Practice Guidelines (GCP)
To facilitate U-M human subjects research by providing resources, support, and education.

HRPP policies and procedures for the conduct of human research at U-M are outlined in the HRPP Operations Manual.
For details visit the HRPP website at: https://research-compliance.umich.edu/human-subjects.

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) coordinates the U-M Human Research Protections Program (HRPP) with collaboration from the following offices and more:

For a complete list, see the HRPP Operations Manual, Part 2 – Organization

Questions?

If you have additional questions about the site visit, please contact [email protected].