Office for Research Protections

The Office for Research Protections (ORP) is Penn State’s home for research ethics and compliance, where we partner with researchers to maintain the integrity of Penn State research.

Announcements

May 4, 2026
We are pleased to announce enhancements to graduate Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training that expand access, streamline compliance, and reduce administrative burden for graduate programs. Th...
April 28, 2026
The Office for Research Protections (ORP) Quality Assurance Program and the Human Research Quality Assurance (HRQA) Program would like to share important information regarding ClinicalTrials.gov compl...
April 1, 2026
The Penn State community is invited to register for the inaugural Research Ethics Conference on September 10, 2026! The event is open to all faculty, students, staff and postdoctoral scholars with an ...

Education

The ORP oversees ACES (ACOR Certification and Education Series), the CITI program and SARI@PSU trainings on research ethics and compliance. We also offer in-person and online training for the submission of research to the IRB and IACUC. For training and requirements, see the Education program page.

Accreditation

We maintain accreditation with the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) and the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP). These accreditations are voluntary, selective, and require we uphold rigorous ethical standards.

AAHRPP Certification Seal