December 2004

Certification is a defining characteristic of a profession that denotes a level of knowledge and proficiency in a specialized field. Institutional Review Boards have reached the level of complexity in that it is now appropriate to have a certification process. Certification is granted by a professional group and is a form of recognition rather than registration or licensure and is increasingly recognized as an important part of an effective human subjects protection program. The Applied Research Ethics National Association (ARENA) assisted in the development of the Certified IRB Professional (CIP) program – - a rigorous program which requires a substantial time commitment on the part of the applicant.

National certification of professionals involved in the oversight and monitoring of research offers the public, legislators, and sponsors a standard for professional practice and helps assure adherence to regulatory requirements, good clinical practice, and ethical principles.

This process of credentialing (in which certification is one part of the process) establishes a core body of knowledge that promotes improved protection of human research participants and facilitates productive interaction between the human subjects programs and the research community. The individual who passes the certification examination is identified as possessing a high level of technical expertise and is certified as having met the requirements and demonstrated an understanding of a specific body of knowledge at a level sufficient to meet established standards.

This month the Human Subjects Protection Program staff wishes to recognize one of its’ staff members, Judy Skroback for having passed the Certified IRB Professional (CIP) certification examination. Congratulations to Judy for achieving this goal and reaching this high standard.

* Delano, S.J., Sallyann, H., & Chadwick, G.L. (2002). Certification of IRB Professionals. In R. Amdur and E. Bankert (Eds.), Institutional Review Board Management and Function (pp. 357-359). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.