University of Southern California

Human Subjects Protection Program

The University of Southern California is committed to conducting its biomedical and behavioral research involving human subjects under rigorous ethical principles. The four University Institutional Review Boards (one on the University Park Campus and three on the Health Sciences Campus) have been established to comply with existing regulations of the federal government in accordance with the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Rights (45 CFR 46), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations (21 CFR 50, 56), and with the Federalwide Assurance granted by the HHS Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP).

The University has also agreed to adhere to the statements of ethical principles as described in The Nuremberg Code, The Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Human Subjects of Research, and the Report of the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research.

This fundamental commitment to the protection of human participants applies to all University of Southern California research involving human participants regardless of whether the research is funded through the university, the federal government, a non-profit or industry sponsor and regardless of the location of the research.

Among the goals of USC and the Human Subjects Protection Program (HSPP) are accreditation through the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) and assuring excellence for human subjects research programs across the university through the implementation of comprehensive Human Subjects Policies and Procedures. A university-wide research ethics program and continuing educational programs will assure that USC remains ahead of ever changing ethical and regulatory standards.