Accreditation

AAHRPP Accreditation

AAHRPP accreditation mark

Our institution first obtained accreditation from AAHRPP (Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs), the international accrediting body in the field of clinical research, in December 2012, and was accredited again in 2015, 2020, and December 2025.

Established in 2001 with the sponsorship of seven U.S. government agencies concerned with the safety and ethics of clinical research, AAHRPP is a non-profit organization that sets ethical standards for clinical research institutions to protect the rights and welfare of research participants, and grants accreditation to institutions that meet those standards. To date, more than 250 institutions worldwide — including the U.S. NIH, Harvard Medical School, and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine — have earned this accreditation.

Seoul National University Hospital's AAHRPP accreditation carries even greater significance because it was earned jointly by five institutions: Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul Metropolitan Government Boramae Medical Center, and the SNUH Healthcare System Gangnam Center. Since deciding to pursue AAHRPP accreditation in October 2010, the five institutions jointly established the Human Subjects Protection Center (now the Center for Human Research Protection), enacted standard operating procedures for the human research protection program, and provided ongoing researcher education, ultimately earning accreditation after a documentation review and an on-site evaluation by the AAHRPP survey team.

The continued attainment of reaccreditation is significant in that it once again provides international recognition that, even after its initial accreditation, our institution has successfully established and operated a top-tier Center for Human Research Protection (HRPP) for the rights, safety, and welfare of research participants.

Ministry of Health and Welfare IRB Accreditation

Ministry of Health and Welfare IRB accreditation mark

In 2021, our institution decided to pursue the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Institutional Review Board (IRB) evaluation and accreditation, and after a year of documentation and on-site review, obtained final accreditation in March 2022. The accreditation is valid for three years; we obtained reaccreditation in March 2025 and have maintained it through annual continuation reports.

Conducted under Article 14 of the Bioethics and Safety Act (Evaluation and Accreditation of Institutional Review Boards), this evaluation and accreditation assesses “the appropriateness of IRB review; the adequacy of investigation, oversight, and education; the independence of IRB composition and the expertise of its personnel; and the appropriateness of SOPs” in order to raise the quality of the IRB, foster an ethical research environment, and secure the capacity to protect research participants. Earning this accreditation recognizes that the Seoul National University Hospital / Seoul National University College of Medicine IRB faithfully performs the functions and roles required by domestic and international standards. We will continue to do our utmost to contribute to an ethical clinical research environment.