Development of a Human Research Protection Program (HRPP)

One of the primary ethical justifications for conducting human research is to benefit society. Because human research seeks to understand something not yet known, participation in human research is not without risks. Given the fundamental importance of human research , society must ensure that research is conducted ethically, scientifically, safely, and in a manner that safeguards the rights and welfare of research participants. A Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) is an organizational-wide program composed of all entities responsible for protecting the rights and welfare of participants in human research.  An HRPP is composed of functional units responsible for funding , resources (human and other), procedures, training and quality assurance. Together, these functionalities form an overall program of research participant protection wherein responsibilities are shared among all entities of the HRPP In the absence of Canadian regulations governing human research , the necessity for national standards governing the conduct and oversight of research in humans is paramount. Adherence to this standard ensures that an organization has the necessary structure and oversight capabilities to ensure that it meets a rigorous set of standards focused on research participant protection, evidenced-based practices, efficiency, quality, integrity, and accountability. It also assures the organization's collaborators that their investment _ will produce reliable and verifiable results in an efficient and low-risk environment.

The NSC is being revised to continue to support the nationally recognized HRPP certification program. The HRPP is composed of individuals or entities within an organization whose actions directly or indirectly affect research data integrity and/or the health, welfare, interests, or rights of Research Participants, such as the Leader or Leadership, Investigators/ Researchers, research personnel, REB members, and administrative and ancillary personnel.  Human research incorporates various types of qualitative and quantitative methods, disciplines such as health, social sciences and humanities, arts, engineering, and approaches such as interventional and observational that are conducted in a variety of domains (e.g. biomedical, social, legal, behavioural) who support the ongoing maintenance of the NSC.