Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts. The organization was formed in 1974 by a group of researchers who sought to ensure that the concerns and experiences of those working in biomedical research would be reflected in the growing body of federal regulations governing the field.

Among PRIM&R's principal activities are education, membership services, certification programs, public policy initiatives, and professional development programs. The key constituencies for PRIM&R's programming are human research protection professionals, animal care and use professionals, federal representatives, institutional officials, researchers and research staff, representatives of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, those working with community and voluntary health organizations, and ethicists.

PRIM&R has a membership of more than 4,000 individuals worldwide.

Educational Programs

Annual Conferences

PRIM&R hosts a number of educational programs, including two annual conferences, the Advancing Ethical Research (AER) Conference and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Conference."Conferences." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2015.

The AER Conference is held in the fall of each year, and focuses on human subject protections. This meeting spans three days and draws approximately 2,500 attendees. The structure of the conference generally consists of three to four keynote and plenary addresses, 14 to 16 panels, and more than 120 breakout sessions organized into 25 to 30 topical tracks. Past speakers have included Jay Katz, Francis S. Collins,"2010 AER Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. Rebecca Skloot,"2010 AER Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo, Jerome Groopman, Jonathan Haidt,"2011 AER Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. Robert Temple, Frances Kelsey, Dan Ariely,"2009 AER Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. Seth Mnookin,"2011 AER Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. Eva Mozes Kor,"2010 AER Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. Louis Lasagna, Keith Norris, Susan Reverby,"2011 AER Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. Joshua Sharfstein,"2009 AER Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. Jonathan Woodson,"2011 AER Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. and Ellen Wright Clayton."2011 AER Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013.

The two-day IACUC Conference focuses on issues pertaining to the care and use of animals in research. It typically draws 600 to 700 attendees, and includes three to four keynote and plenary addresses, four to five panels, and approximately 75 breakout sessions. Past speakers have included Temple Grandin,"2009 IACUC Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. Bernard Rollin,"2012 IACUC Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. Evan Snyder, Colin Blakemore, Henry Spira, Tom Beauchamp, Stuart Zola,"2012 IACUC Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. Margaret Landi,"2012 IACUC Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013. and Georgia Mason."2012 IACUC Conference." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2013.

Additionally, PRIM&R has hosted a number of smaller meetings on new developments in research, including dedicated conferences on AIDS, organ transplantation, reproductive technologies, ethical issues in social, behavioral, and educational research (SBER), privacy and confidentiality, conflicts of interest, the responsible conduct of research, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)."Past Conferences." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014.

Pre-Conference Programs

PRIM&R's pre-conference programs, usually one day in length, precede the AER and IACUC conferences, and provide attendees with the opportunity to engage in intensive examination of key areas in the field of research oversight. Each course is aimed at providing participants with an understanding of both the regulatory and ethical precepts underlying work in medical research. Annual pre-conference offerings include:

IRB 101sm (an introduction to the history and regulations that govern the institutional review board (IRB)),"Short Courses: IRB 101." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014. IACUC 101 (an overview of the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the humane care and use of laboratory animals), IRB 201 (a detailed look at the criteria for review of research protocols), Essentials of IACUC Administration (an examination of the key components of an integrated animal care and use program),"Short Courses: IRB 201." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014. and Advanced Research Ethics (an advanced course that explores complex topics in human research protections).

In addition, special in-depth programs on hot topics in the field are regularly offered. Past programs have addressed informed consent, investigator responsibilities, tissue banking, research in resource-scarce countries, and internet research.

Regional Meetings

PRIM&R offers two to three regional meetings each year to promote shared problem solving, networking, and communication among the research ethics professionals in a given region. Past locations for regional meetings have included Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tucson, Durban, South Africa, Malawi, and Singapore. Courses that have been offered in these cities include Essentials of IACUC Administration, Institutional Review Board (IRB) 101sm, IRB 201, IRB 250, and IRB Administration 101."Regional Meetings." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014.

At Your Doorstep Programs

At Your Doorstep (AYD) is a customizable offering that brings PRIM&R's educational programming and faculty directly to an institution. Since its launch in 1998, PRIM&R's AYD program has brought its two most popular courses, IRB 101sm and IRB 250, to more than 150 institutions,"At Your Doorstep." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014. and has had more than 15,000 participants. AYD events have been hosted by Harvard Medical School, the Kaiser Foundation Research Institute, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Mayo Clinic, and Johns Hopkins University.

Webinars

Since 2005, PRIM&R has offered webinars. PRIM&R currently produces between 12 and 14 webinars per year. Some recent webinar topics"Webinars." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2015. have included:

Strategies for addressing challenges commonly faced by IACUCs and Institutional Review Board (IRBs) Applying ethical principles in research conducted abroad, and in research conducted over the internet Supporting the involvement of community IRB members Analysis of current events such as the proposed changes to the DHHS "Common Rule."

Webinars are generally taught by two speakers who present complementary aspects of a given topic.

Online Course

PRIM&R developed an interactive online course, titled Ethical Research Oversight Course (EROC), which explores the function and purpose of IRBs."Ethical Research Oversight Course (E-ROC)." Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2015. This course was created to present reliable and affordable research ethics education individuals and institutions. The curriculum of this course is intended to provide IRB members with an understanding of the ethical and regulatory issues that underlie research with human subjects with the use of case studies.

Networking and Professional Programs

Membership

A PRIM&R's membership includes professionals working with human subjects protections programs (HRPPs), animal care and use programs, institutional biosafety programs (IBCs), research ethics committees (RECs), and embryonic stem cell research oversight (ESCRO) committees, such as administrators, researchers, research staff, institutional officials, government representatives, subject advocates, ethicists, policy makers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology personnel, and attorneys.

History of Membership

In 1985, a membership division, the Applied Research Ethics National Association (ARENA), was created within PRIM&R to offer a professional community for IRB and IACUC members, administrators, and others interested in and concerned with applied research ethics. ARENA's mission was to "promote educational activities, networking, the resolution and/or amelioration of mutual problems, and the professional advancement of its members," and had 61 charter members. In 2006, ARENA membership was integrated into the organization as a whole, and the name ARENA was retired in July of that year."History" Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014.

Networking Programs

PRIM&R offers its members networking opportunities designed to encourage the exchange of knowledge among research ethics professionals, including a Regional Connections"Regional Connections" Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014. program, which offers small grants to members to plan and host events intended to facilitate collaboration, a Mentoring Program"Mentoring" Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014. for professionals within the field of research ethics, and an electronic membership directory"Member Directory" Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014. to facilitate connecting and networking with colleagues.

Organizational Publications and Resources

PRIM&R distributes several e-publications to its members. These include the Research Ethics Digest (RED),"Research Ethics Digets (RED)" Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014. an electronic, bi-monthly compilation of recently published journal articles, news pieces, and essays related to research ethics; and the monthly Member Newsletter,"PRIM&R Member Newsletter" Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014. which contains current information on research ethics and regulatory matters, as well as updates on PRIM&R activities.

In 2006, PRIM&R published a compilation of conference proceedings spanning from 1974 to 2005, titled PRIM&R Through the Years.

Knowledge Center

The PRIM&R website includes an online Knowledge Center that provides current and historical information and resources to the research community. The Knowledge Center is divided into six domains, each containing resources relating to a specific topic. These topics include selected regulations and guidance; historical cases and documents; PRIM&R program archives; a glossary of common terms; research ethics publications; and a database of best practices, standard operating procedures, and templates for those working in human research protection programs and animal care and use programs."Knowledge Center" Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014.

Ampersand

Launched on November 3, 2008, PRIM&R's blog, Ampersand, is a voice for the research ethics community. Contributions to Ampersand come from a variety of sources, including PRIM&R staff, board members, subject matter experts, members, and others involved in the research field. Ampersand posts are education-focused and provide commentary on news and issues in the research ethics field. Submissions to Ampersand are welcome from members and nonmembers alike."Ampersand" Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. 2014.

Certification

Certified IRB Professional (CIP)