The Federal Government, through the Department of Human Health and Services (DHHS) and its attending agencies stresses the importance of education on the protection of human research subjects. One of the new, and strongly emphasized, duties of the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) is to "educate and train clinical investigators and members and staff of IRBs that carry out subject protection at research institutions." (Secretary of DHHS, Shalala)

The University of Chicago had already been planning to offer educational sessions to relevant research personnel to assist both investigators and staff in the completion of human subjects requirements. The OHRP's focus on these endeavors has further stressed the need for such educational opportunities.

Finally, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is also under the supervision of the DHHS and follows the ethical treatment of human subjects guidelines set by OHRP. However, the NIH has set even more stringent guidelines for the key personnel in NIH funded grants than either the University of Chicago or OHRP had previously set. On June 5, 2000, NIH announced that "beginning on October 1, 2000, the NIH will require education on the protection of human research participants for all investigators submitting NIH applications for grants or proposals for contracts or receiving new or non-competing awards for research involving human subjects." (NIH Grants Notice Files)

It is expected that these NIH educational sessions on the protection of human research participants will soon be required of all research faculty and staff at the University of Chicago.