FAQs
What is PRIM&R?
Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating, implementing, and advancing the highest ethical standards in the conduct of research. Since 1974, PRIM&R has served the full array of individuals and organizations involved in biomedical, social science, behavioral, and educational research, including those who work with institutional review boards/human research protection programs (IRBs/HRPPs), institutional animal care and use committees (IACUCs), and institutional biosafety committees (IBCs).
Who belongs to PRIM&R?
PRIM&R’s vibrant membership community includes professionals representing human and animal research protection programs and institutional biosafety programs, as well as researchers, institutional officials, government personnel, subject advocates, ethicists, policy makers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology leaders, and attorneys. Our members hail from over 1,000 institutions and 30 different countries. View our membership benefits or join today!
What is the Mentoring Program?
The Mentoring Program is an initiative offered to all PRIM&R members in which newcomers or those more recent to the IRB/HRPP, IACUC and IBC fields are matched with experienced professionals who share similiar goals, areas of interest, and workplaces. Mentors and mentees have the opportunity to collaborate and to develop a relationship by phone, by e-mail, and in person at PRIM&R conferences and educational programs! PRIM&R staff periodically checks in with both participants to gain feedback, and to monitor the success of the relationship.
What types of educational programs does PRIM&R offer?
Via a wide variety of conferences and courses, PRIM&R provides balanced, well-researched, and accurate information on the range of ethical and regulatory issues affecting research, while also offering unparalleled access to certification, networking, and professional development resources.
PRIM&R sponsors two annual conferences, the Advancing Ethical Research (AER) Conference and the IACUC Conference. Additionally, PRIM&R hosts regional programming several times a year, offering a variety of educational courses including, but not limited to, Essentials of IACUC Administration, IACUC 101, IBC Basics, IRB Administrator 101, IRB 101sm and IRB 201. Learn more about our upcoming programs!
Institutions have the opportunity to bring IRB 101sm and IRB 250 to their facilities through our acclaimed At Your Doorstep program. PRIM&R also hosts webinars (web-based seminars), which allow participants to learn from the comfort of their homes or offices.
All of PRIM&R’s educational programs are led by a world-class faculty made up of leading experts in the fields of research, regulation, science policy, and ethics.
Which IACUC educational program is right for me?
IACUC 101: The Basics is a one-day didactic and interactive training course for new, as well as seasoned, IACUC members, and other individuals responsible for their institution’s animal care and use programs. This course is presented by a faculty consisting of representatives from OLAW, USDA/APHIS, and AAALAC International.
Course objectives include:
• Providing an overview of the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the human care and use of laboratory animals;
• Presenting strategies for effective IACUC operations; and
• Demonstrating how to develop action plans in response to a variety of potential IACUC scenarios.
Essentials of IACUC Administration is a one-and-a-half-day program that provides IACUC administrators and support staff, as well as training and compliance personnel, with an overview of how to effectively manage an animal care and use program.
• Reviewing the key components of an integrated program;
• Examining the primary responsibilities of administrators; and
• Discussing strategies for leading and managing a complex program that assures the humane care and use of animals while facilitating their use in research and teaching.
Which IRB educational program is right for me?
IRB 101sm is a one-day training course geared towards IRB members, administrators, clinical investigators, and research staff. Participants learn about the ethics, history, and federal regulations related to the conduct of biomedical and social science research on human subjects. The program also covers how the federally mandated IRB system within the United States was developed. Additional material presented includes:
• The underlying ethical principles and procedures for reviewing research involving the protection of human subjects; and
• The key components of the regulations which govern IRB operations.
IRB Administrator 101 is a one-and-a-half-day program for both new administrators and those in need of a “refresher” course:
• Identification of the key components of human research protections programs;
• Examination of the primary responsibilities of administrators; and
• A review of the strategies and policies for developing and/or strengthening your institution’s human research protections program.
IRB 250 focuses on more complex issues in HRPPs than the other courses, and is directed towards IRB staff members who already possess a basic understanding of the history of research ethics and federal regulations. IRB 250 is a single-day module-based program that provides further insight into issues of importance to HRPPs through a series of lectures and interactive discussions.
What is the IBC Basics course?
IBC Basics: An Introduction to the NIH Guidelines and the Oversight of Recombinant DNA Research is a full-day course on the history, function, and administration of institutional biosafety committees (IBCs) to:
• Learn about the NIH OBA, the contents of the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules, and the history of IBCs;
• Understand the range of responsibilities that IBCs have under the NIH Guidelines;
• Work through case studies designed to clarify federal expectations with regard to biosafety review and surveillance of recombinant DNA and related research;
• Examine the relationship of IBC to IRBs and IACUCs in terms of their respective purviews, roles, and responsibilities; and
• Network with colleagues to share ideas about best practices, resources, innovative approaches, and possible collaborations.
The target audience for this course includes IBC members and staff, research administrators, biosafety officers, regulatory affairs officers, members and staff of institutional oversight committees, such as IRBs and IACUCs, and others interested in the oversight of recombinant DNA research.
What is a webinar?
Webinars are web-based seminars. A key feature of a webinar is its interactive element, i.e., the ability of participants to give, receive, and discuss information. In contrast to a webcast in which the data transmission is unidirectional, a webinar allows for interaction between the presenters and audience members. Learn more about our webinars!
What is CIP®?
CIP® stands for “Certified Institutional Review Board (IRB) Professional.” This credential for those working with IRBs was developed to promote ethical research practices and programs by ensuring that those charged with their administration have demonstrated an advanced level of knowledge, understanding, and relevant competencies. The exam is administered by the Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) of New York. Learn more about CIP®!
Am I eligible for the CIP® Credential?
The CIP® program is designed specifically for individuals participating in and/or overseeing the daily operations of IRBs. Professionals from all IRBs—institutional, independent, and industry—as well as other organizations involved with biomedical, social science, behavioral, or educational research may be eligible. IRB chairs, members, and others participating in the HRPP may be appropriate candidates for certification only if they are deeply involved in the daily operations of an IRB. IRB experience must be “substantial and ongoing,” and must reflect the applicant’s commitment to applied research ethics in human subject protections.
Applicants must meet either of the following criteria:
• A bachelor’s degree plus two years of relevant IRB experience within the previous seven years; or
• Four years of relevant IRB experience within the previous ten years.
What is CPIA?
CPIA stands for “Certified Professional IACUC Administrator,” a professional credential for IACUC professionals that has been designed to advance the quality of animal care and use programs nationwide by promoting ethical practices and advanced knowledge of IACUC administration. The exam is administered by the Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) of New York. Learn more about CPIA!
What are the benefits of Certification?
CIP® and CPIA credentials:
• Promote the ethical conduct of research by strengthening the professional administration of IRBs and IACUCs.
• Demonstrate the certified IRB/IACUC professional’s high level of dedication to their administration as a profession.
• Encourage personal growth and professional development by providing the credential holder with potential career advancement opportunities.
• Strengthen the professions by providing an established body of relevant knowledge and national standards of practice in IRB/IACUC administration.
Does PRIM&R issue public policy statements?
Yes. PRIM&R’s Public Policy Committee is commissioned to draft comments on guidance issued by various federal agencies. Before submission, these comments are approved by the executive committee of the board of directors. To read these comments, as well as to view other public policy materials, please visit our public policy page.
Questions?
Please contact us via e-mail or telephone at 617.423.4112, ext. 0. Thank you!