Education, News & Events: News Releases

Federal entity, leading cancer research center, independent IRB join those who meet the ‘gold standard’

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 18, 2019―The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs today announced that it has accredited three more research organizations, including its third federal entity, a top-ranking cancer institution and a second organization in Arizona.

The newly accredited organizations are:

• Solutions IRB, Yarnell, Arizona
• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
• United States Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.

“These latest accreditations highlight the importance and applicability of AAHRPP’s high standards for research organizations of all sizes and scope,” AAHRPP President and CEO Elyse I. Summers said. “Equally important, today’s accreditations advance the global effort to promote high-quality, ethical research that puts research participants—and their safety and well-being—above all else.

“We congratulate and commend our newest accredited organizations and the more than 600 AAHRPP-accredited entities around the world that have committed to what is widely recognized as the gold standard for quality research,” she added.

An independent IRB, Solutions IRB is based in Arizona and serves a national and international client base. MD Anderson Cancer Center is among the world’s most respected leaders in cancer prevention, treatment and research. The U.S. Department of Energy, including the semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration, has an international reputation in science and innovation. DOE/NNSA invests more than $5 billion each year on cutting-edge research and scientific tools and facilities. It joins the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute’s Central IRB as federal entities that have attained AAHRPP accreditation.

To earn AAHRPP accreditation, organizations must show that they have built extensive safeguards into every level of their research operation and that they adhere to high standards for research.

AAHRPP has accredited organizations across the United States and in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Jordan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

All major U.S. independent institutional review boards have earned AAHRPP accreditation. In addition, more than 70% of U.S. medical colleges and 85% of the top NIH-funded academic medical centers are either AAHRPP accredited or have begun the accreditation process.

About AAHRPP: A nonprofit organization, AAHRPP provides accreditation for organizations that conduct or review human research and can demonstrate that their protections exceed the safeguards required by the U.S. government. To learn more, visit www.aahrpp.org.