The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs today announced that it has awarded accreditation to its first organization in Australia, a second U.S. Department of Defense entity and one of the largest hospitals in Taiwan. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/224365/aahrpp_logo.jpg The newly accredited organizations are: -- Bellberry Limited, South Australia, Australia -- Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung City, Taiwan -- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Department of Research Programs, Bethesda, Maryland "These accreditations represent milestones for AAHRPP and research participants worldwide," AAHRPP President and CEO Elyse I. Summers said. "For the first time, AAHRPP's high standards extend to research conducted on the Australian continent. And, we're proud that AAHRPP accreditation has been achieved by the United States' largest, most renowned military medical center, named for the physician researcher who used written consent (including translated forms in Spanish), decades before it was typical. We also increase our impact in Taiwan's second most populated city." A national nonprofit organization, Bellberry Limited manages 12 human research ethics committees that provide scientific, ethical review of human research projects across Australia. Taichung Veterans General Hospital is the 12th organization in Taiwan, and the second in Taichung City, to earn AAHRPP accreditation. The Department of Research Programs oversees all Walter Reed National Military Medical Center research. It joins the 59th Medical Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas as U.S. Department of Defense facilities that have attained AAHRPP accreditation. To earn accreditation, organizations must show they have built extensive safeguards into every level of their research operation and adhere to high standards for research. AAHRPP has accredited more than 600 research entities, including organizations across the U.S. and in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Jordan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. All major U.S. independent institutional review boards have earned AAHRPP accreditation. In addition, more than 70% of U.S. medical colleges and 85% of the top U.S. National Institutes of Health-funded academic medical centers are AAHRPP accredited or have begun the accreditation process. About AAHRPP: A nonprofit organization, AAHRPP provides accreditation for organizations that conduct or review human research and can demonstrate that their protections exceed the safeguards required by the U.S. government. To learn more, visit www.aahrpp.org. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Feige, MSW, LCSW-C Executive Vice President mfeige@aahrpp.org (202) 783-1112 SOURCE Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs