About: Our Mission and History

AAHRPP promotes ethically sound and scientifically valuable research through the accreditation of high-quality human research protection programs.

AAHRPP envisions a global research enterprise that is inclusive, responds to scientific questions and societal needs, respects and values all contributors to research, and ensures that neither human research participants nor their communities are exploited or exposed to unnecessary risks. 

• AAHRPP keeps the rights, interests, and welfare of research participants at the forefront. 
• AAHRPP serves research participants by developing standards to guide individuals and organizations in the safe and ethical conduct of research.  
• AAHRPP is an accrediting body whose mission is to help organizations adhere to the regulations, ethical principles and AAHRPP standards which ensure the protection of research participants and promote trust in research. 
• AAHRPP is committed to fiscal accountability, responsibility, and transparency through the use of its resources for strategic priorities that advance AAHRPP’s mission and ensure a positive return on its investment.  

All of us at AAHRPP are accountable to our clients, our colleagues, and the public for setting high standards for human research protection. We share our knowledge and provide encouragement through our enthusiasm, responsiveness, and personal attention to each other and the people we serve. 

It is AAHRPP’s mission to defend and protect the safety and welfare of human beings. Painful moments of violence against minorities across our country are a reminder of the importance of our work, as our mission is to protect all people and promote human dignity and ethical behavior. It will take all of us listening to and learning from our good-hearted fellow citizens and wise colleagues and working together to turn empathy and sympathy into righteous action. We are privileged to work in a field where our endeavors contribute to the advancement of our shared humanity. We pledge that, in our words and in our deeds, AAHRPP will remain tireless in our dedication to uphold the time-tested principles of respect, beneficence, and justice, the values that will ultimately determine the fate of our future and soul of our nation. 

AAHRPP Affirmatively Supports DEIA

At AAHRPP, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are at the core of who we are. Our commitment to these values is unwavering – across all our work and around the globe – and they are central to both our mission and impact. We maintain that building and sustaining diversity requires an ongoing commitment to inclusion that must find full expression in our organizational culture, values, norms, and behaviors. Throughout our work, we support diversity across all lines of difference, including age, economic circumstance, ethnicity, sex, race, range of ability, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity/expression. We aim to lead by example, viewing and encouraging diversity as a fundamental and abiding strength of AAHRPP’s community.