DETROIT - Following a rigorous evaluation process, Wayne State University's research protection program involving human participants has been renewed for full accreditation for five years by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs Inc. (AAHRPP). Wayne State has been accredited by AAHRPP since 2007.

AAHRPP is dedicated to providing protection of the rights and welfare of research participants and the promotion of scientifically meritorious and ethically sound research. AAHRPP accreditation is the "gold seal" for human participant research, requiring its member institutions to reach performance standards that surpass the threshold of state and federal requirements. AAHRPP works with organizations that conduct human research to raise the level of protection for research participants.

Seeking accreditation by AAHRPP is voluntary.

"I am pleased to learn that we have been reaccredited by AAHRPP," said Ezemenari M. Obasi, Ph.D., vice president for research & innovation at Wayne State. "This is an important recognition that demonstrates Wayne State University's unwavering commitment to the highest ethical standards in protecting human research participants. Receiving this reaccreditation shows that we work hard to provide high-quality, ethically sound research. This is a great achievement for Wayne State University."

Wayne State has approximately 2,800 active human research studies involving thousands of research participants. Research volunteers participate in studies in myriad areas, including diagnostic, social and therapeutic programs.

"Many faculty, staff and community members invest considerable time and effort throughout the year to ensure the well-being of research participants by serving on our institutional review boards and safety committees," said Obasi. "Their commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of research participants in our research studies, along with smoothing the path to success for our researchers, is an example of Wayne State's commitment to high ethical standards in research. I am especially thankful for Director Amanda Jointer and Associate Director Heather Park-May of our human research protection program and Institutional Review Board, for the critical leadership roles in securing this accreditation."

To earn accreditation and reaccreditation, organizations must demonstrate that they have built extensive safeguards into every level of their research operation, adhere to high standards for research and are committed to continuous improvement. AAHRPP accredited institutions must meet and exceed regulatory standards with commitment to continuous improvement and institutional support of the human research protection infrastructure.

""This AAHRPP re-accreditation gold seal achievement reflects the dedication of the IRB administration staff, IRB members, and continued collaboration throughout the WSU research community working together to meet and exceed the highest ethical standards of a Human Research Protection Program," said Jointer. "The hard work and commitment throughout the process, from the application submission, policy and procedure reviews to the site visit, made this re-accreditation one the most successful."

AAHRPP, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., has accredited more than 600 research entities across the U.S. and around the world. To learn more about AAHRPP, visit www.aahrpp.org. For more information about Wayne State's human research integrity programs, visit irb.wayne.edu