On June 16, 2026, a revised Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) policy will be in effect. Last revised in 2017, the updated version modernizes, reorganizes and clarifies the policy, with some structural and operational updates — but does not fundamentally change the core principles.
Specifically, the revised policy:
- More clearly explains roles and responsibilities of faculty, staff and students involved in human subjects research
- Addresses noncompliance with HRPP policies and Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements
- Clarifies language and adds definitions to improve accuracy
- Updates the HRPP organizational structure within the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK), including units, responsibilities, hyperlinks and more
With the Huron IRB system now in use at Ohio State, the updated policy includes references to the library of documents centralized within the system. These documents outline the requirements, processes and approvals needed to conduct human subjects research at the university, including recruitment, consent, privacy, data management and more.
The updated policy also more clearly lays out noncompliance with the HRPP at Ohio State. All allegations and findings of noncompliance will be managed in accordance with the Investigator Manual (HRP-103), which sets forth procedures on initial inquiries, investigations, IRB review, corrective actions, reporting and record retention. Corrective actions for noncompliance will be based on the nature of the noncompliance, degree to which research participants were placed at risk, and occurrence of previous noncompliance, among other factors.
The HRPP Policy was first identified as a university policy in 2008 and since then, has undergone minor updates to obtain and maintain Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc (AAHRPP) accreditation. Over the last several months, the policy has been revised, posted for university-wide feedback in January and February, updated based on that input, and final approval given by the President’s Cabinet on June 9.