Which regulatory body is responsible for overseeing research involving human subjects in the U.S.?

The Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) is the regulatory body specifically tasked with overseeing research involving human subjects in the United States. The OHRP operates under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and plays a critical role in protecting the rights, welfare, and well-being of research participants. It provides guidance on regulations and policies related to human subjects research, ensuring compliance with the federal regulations known as the Common Rule, which protects participants involved in such research.

While other organizations like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are influential in the research arena, their roles do not specifically focus on human subjects protection in the same way that the OHRP does. The NIH is primarily a funding and research institution, promoting medical research, while the HHS encompasses a broader scope of health-related issues, of which the OHRP is a component. The FBI, on the other hand, is primarily involved in national security and law enforcement, not in overseeing research practices.