The University of Hawaiʻi is now recognized as a top research institution that follows rigorous standards for ethics, quality and protections while conducting human research—and becomes the first research organization in the state to be awarded this highly regarded status.
On June 14, UH was informed that it was awarded full accreditation by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP). In addition to assuring the public that the rights and welfare of individuals who participate in research are protected, the accreditation demonstrates to potential collaborators and sponsors in the competitive global research arena that UH has built extensive safeguards into every level of research operations.
“The AAHRPP accreditation reaffirms the University of Hawaiʻi’s commitment to strengthen protections for participants involved in our research and will serve as a catalyst to further increase our community involvement and engagement efforts in this area,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, UH vice president for Research and Innovation. “I would also like to acknowledge the Human Studies Program team and all members of the three UH Institutional Review Boards for their key role in preparing us for this important accreditation.”
Along with UH, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Central Michigan University received recent accreditation from AAHRPP. More than 60 percent of U.S. research-intensive universities and 65 percent of U.S. medical schools are either AAHRPP accredited or have begun the accreditation process.
