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About QA & I

Our mission is to support the University’s expectations of high-quality research via quality assurance (QA) and quality improvement (QI) activities. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of protection efforts is essential to maintaining a quality program and enables DRIA to continue UTK’s tradition of excellence. Therefore, the QA/QI will be conducting internal monitoring of the HRPP office to improve the program processes, procedures and performance.

The office also monitors and reviews active research protocols to ensure that the participants’ rights, safety and welfare are protected, that the research is conducted in accordance with the approved research plan and complies with all applicable Federal regulations and University policies.

The QA/QI review process is an essential element of our accreditation by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP). The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and AAHRPP recognize that the commitment to human research participation does not end with the approval of the project by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), but is a foundational element throughout the research project.

As an outgrowth of the monitoring activities, the QA/QI program will provide Quality Improvement support via tailored education, guidance and resources that will assist in the performance of high-quality research.