Abbreviations and Acronyms (excludes medical terminology)

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W

A

AAA: American Academy of Allergists; American Association of Anatomists; Area

 Agency on Aging

AAALAC: Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal 

 Care

AAAS: American Association for the Advancement of Science

AACN: American Association of Colleges of Nursing

AACP: American Association of College of Pharmacy

AACR: American Association for Cancer Research

AAFP: American Academy of Family Physicians

AAHRPP: Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs

AAIP: Association of American Indian Physicians

AAMC: Association of American Medical Colleges

AAN: American Academy of Nursing

AANN: American Association of Neuroscience Nurses

AAO-HNSF: American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

 Foundation

AAOS: American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

AAP: American Academy of Pediatrics

AAPMR: American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

AARC: American Association for Respiratory Care

AAU: Association of American Universities
ACC: American College of Cardiology

ACCP: Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention

ACEP: American College of Emergency Physicians

ACF: Administration for Children and Families (HHS)

ACH: Arkansas Children’s Hospital

ACHI: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement

ACHRI: Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute

ACNC: Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center

ACOG: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

ACOSOG: American College of Surgeons Oncology Group

ACP: American College of Pathologists; American College of Physicians

ACRC: Arkansas Cancer Research Center (former name for Winthrop P. Rockefeller

 Cancer Institute)

ACRIN: American College of Radiology Imaging Network
ACRO: Association of Clinical Research Organizations

ACRP: Association of Clinical Research Professionals

ACS: American Cancer Society

ACSOG: American College of Surgeons Oncology Group

ACYF: Administration on Children, Youth and Families (part of ACF) (HHS)

ADAMHA: Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration

ADC: Alzheimer's Disease Center (former name for Memory Research Center)

ADHE: Arkansas Department of Higher Education

AE: adverse event
AERS: Adverse Events Reporting System (FDA)

AFAR: American Federation for Aging Research

AFMC: Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care

AFOSR: Air Force Office of Scientific Research

AGEC: Arkansas Geriatric Education Center

AHA: American Heart Association

AHEC: Area Health Education Center

AHRP: Alliance for Human Research Protections

AHRQ: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (HHS)

AIHA: American Industrial Hygiene Association

AIR: Association for Institutional Research

ALSA: ALS Association

AMDPA: Arkansas Medical, Dental, and Pharmaceutical Association

AMFAR: American Foundation for AIDS Research

AMHRTI: Arkansas Mental Health Research and Training Institute

ANF: American Nurses Foundation

AO: administrative official
AOAC: Association of Analytical Chemists (International)

AOR/SO: Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official 

APA: American Psychiatric Association; American Psychological Association;
 Arkansas Pharmacists Association

APHA: American Public Health Association

APHIS: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA)
APHL: Arkansas Public Health Laboratory

APMA: American Podiatric Medical Association
APN: advanced practice nurse

APSA: American Pediatric Surgical Association

ARCF: American Respiratory Care Foundation
ARCHD: Arkansas Center for Health Disparities

ARENA: Applied Research Ethics National Association

ARIA: Automated Research Information Administrator

ARNA: Arkansas Nurses Association

ARO: Army Research Office
ARORA: Arkansas Regional Organ Recovering Agency
ASCLC: American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science

ASCO: American Society of Clinical Oncology

ASDA: Arkansas State Dental Association
ASGT: American Society of Gene Therapy

ASH: Arkansas State Hospital; Assistant Secretary for Health (HHS)

ASHA: American School Health Association

ASHD: Arkansas State Health Department
ASLME: American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics

ASPH: Association of Schools of Public Health

AUP: Animal Use Protocol

AWIC: Animal Welfare Information Center

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B

BAC: business associate contract
BCRP: Breast Cancer Research Program (DoD)
BECON: Bioengineering Consortium (NIH)
BIMO: Bioresearch Monitoring (FDA)

BIRN: Biomedical Informatics Research Network (NIH)
BISTI: Biomedical Information Science and Technology Initiative (NIH)
BISTIC: Biomedical Information Science and Technology Initiative Consortium (NIH)
BLA: biologics license application (FDA)
BLR&D: Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development (VA)
BMBL: Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories

BME: biomedical engineer

BMET: biomedical engineering technician
BPCA: Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act
BRF: Biomedical Research Foundation (VA)
BRIC: Building Research Infrastructure and Capacity (a program through AHRQ)

BRIN: Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network [former name for IDeA

 Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)]

BSF: Barth Syndrome Foundation

C

CAAHEP: Commission on Accreditation for Allied Health Educational Programs

CAGE: Commercial and Government Entity
CAM: complementary and alternative medicine

CARTI: Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute

CAVHS: Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System

CBER: Center of Biologics Evaluation and Research (FDA)
CBM: Current Bibliographies in Medicine (NLM/NIH)

CBOC: Community Based Outpatient Clinic (a VA entity)
CCFA: Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America

CCIP: Council for Certification of IRB Professionals

CCR: Committee on Clinical Research

CCTC: Clinical Computer Training Center

CDA: certified dental assistant; confidential disclosure agreement
CDER: Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (FDA)
CDMRP: Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (DoD)
CERTs: Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (AHRQ)

CFDA: Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

CFR: Code of Federal Regulations
CFSAN: Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FDA)

CHRP: College of Health Related Professions

CIES: Council for International Exchange of Scholars

CIM: Certified IRB Manager

CIOMS: Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences
CIP: Certified IRB Professional
CIRB: Central Institutional Review Board (NCI)

CITI: Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative

CLRA: Children's Leukemia Research Association

CME: continuing medical education

CMS: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

CMT: certified medical transcriptionist

COA: (Donald W. Reynolds) Center on Aging (former name for Donald W. Reynolds

 Institute on Aging)

COBRE: Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence

COFAR: Consortium of Food Allergy Research

COG: Children’s Oncology Group
COGR: Council of Governmental Relations

COI: conflict of interest

COM: College of Medicine

CON: College of Nursing

COP: College of Pharmacy

COPH: (Fay W. Boozman) College of Public Health

COTA: certified occupational therapy assistant
CPCCRN: (National) Collaborative Pediatric Clinical Care Research Network (NIH)

CPRP: Cooperative Protocol Research Program (HHS)
CPRS: Computerized Patient Record System

CPT: current procedural terminology (codes) (nationwide billing codes for
 various testing procedures)

CQI: Continuous Quality Improvement

CR: continuing review

CRA: clinical research associate

CRC: Clinical Research Center

CRDF: (U.S.) Civilian & Research Development Foundation
CRDM: Clinical Research and Data Management (Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer
 Institute)

CRF: continuing review form
CRIMSON: Clinical Research Information Management System

CRO: certified research officer; clinical research organization; contract research
 organization

CRR: continuing review report

CRRF: continuing review report form

CRS: Certified Research Specialist

CRT: cathode-ray tube

CRTT: certified respiratory therapy technician
CSPI: Center for Science in the Public Interest

CSR: Center for Scientific Review (NIH)
CSR&D: Clinical Science Research and Development (VA)
CST: certified surgical technologist
CTEP: Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (NCI)
CTG: clinical trials group
CTN: Center for Translational Neuroscience
CTSU: Cancer Trials Support Unit (NCI)

CUD: Custom Use Device

CUMG: Children's University Medical Group

CV: curriculum vitae
CVM: Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA)

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D

DAIDS: Division of AIDS (NIAID)
DCFS: Division of Children and Family Services (Arkansas DHS)

DCO: Division of Compliance Oversight (OHRP)
DCT: Division of Cancer Treatment (NCI)
DEA: Drug Enforcement Administration

DEPSCoR: Department of Defense Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive

 Research

DFCM: Department of Family and Community Medicine
DHEC: Delta Health Education Center

DHHS: (U.S.) Department of  Health and Human Services (also HHS)
DHS: (Arkansas) Department of Human Services

DHSR: Division of Health Services Research
DLAM: Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine

DoD: Department of Defense

DoE: Department of Energy

DOJ: Department of Justice

DOL: Department of Labor

DRRTP: Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (VA)
DRS: designated record set
DSM: Data and Safety Monitor

DSMB: Data and Safety Monitoring Board
DSMC: Data and Safety Monitoring Committee

DSMP: Data Safety Monitoring Plan

DUA: data use agreement

DURIP: Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DoD)

E

EC: Executive Committee (of the IRB)

ECOG: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group

EEOC: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
EFT: Electronic Forms Transfer (NSF)

EMS: emergency medical service

EMT: emergency medical technician

ENA: Emergency Nurses Association

EPA: Environmental Protection Agency

EPF: Electronic Patient Folder
ePHI: Electronic Protected Health Information

EPRP: External Peer Review Program (VA)

EPSCoR: Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
eRA: Electronic Research Administration (NIH)
EUA: emergency use authorization (of a drug or biologic)

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F

FAQs: frequently asked questions

FAR: Federal Acquisition Regulation

FCTC: Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

FDA: Food and Drug Administration
FDAAA: Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (FDA)
FDCA: Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 (FDA)

FDP: Federal Demonstration Partnership (a cooperative funding initiative  
 comprising the NSF, nine other federal agencies, and several academic

 institutions and policy organizations connected with research)

FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency
FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

FIC: (John E.) Fogarty International Center (NIH)

FOIA: Freedom of Information Act

FTP: File Transfer Protocol

FWA: Federalwide Assurance

G

GCP: Good Clinical Practice (FDA guidelines)

GCRC: General Clinical Research Center (former name for Clinical Research Center)

GHTF: Global Harmonization Task Force
GLP: Good Laboratory Practice (FDA guidelines)

GMP: Good Manufacturing Practice (FDA guidelines)
GOG: Gynecologic Oncology Group
GRE: Graduate Record Examination

GSA: General Services Administration; Gerontological Society of America
GTP: Good Tissue Practice (FDA guidelines)

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H

HBCU: Historically Black Colleges and Universities

HCFA: Health Care Financing Administration [former name for Centers for Medicare

 and Medicaid Services (CMS)]

HCFO: Health Care Financing and Organization (an initiative of the Robert Wood

 Johnson Foundation)

HDE: Humanitarian Device Exemption

HHS: (Department of) Health and Human Services (U.S.) (also DHHS)
HIMSS: Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

HMO: health maintenance organization

HRAC: Human Research Advisory Committee [former name for UAMS Institutional 

 Review Board (IRB)]

HREX: Human Radiation Experiments Information Management System (Argonne

 National Laboratory, DoE)

HRPP: Human Research Protection Program

HRSA: Health Resources and Services Administration
HSR&D: Health Services Research and Development (Service) (VA)

HSREP: Human Subject Research Enhancement Program

HSRRB: Health Science Research Resources Bank (NIH)

HST: Human Subject Training (form)

HTML: Hypertext Markup Language

HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol

HUD: (Department of) Housing and Urban Development (U.S.); Humanitarian Use
 Device

I

IACUC: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

IADR: International Association for Dental Research

IAR: Internet-Assisted Review (NIH Web-based electronics submission system)
IB: Investigator's Brochure

IBC: Institutional Biosafety Committee

ICD: Institutes, Centers and Divisions (NIH); International Classification of 

 Diseases; informed consent document

ICF: International Cancer Foundation

ICH: International Conference on Harmonization
ICMJE: International Committee of Medical Journal Editors

IDE: Investigational Device Exemption

IEC: independent ethics committee

IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
IHE: Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (an initiative involving the American
 College of Cardiology, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society,
 and the Radiologic Society of North America that is designed to integrate
 healthcare information resources to improve clinical care)

IIE: Institute of International Education
IIT: investigator-initiated (clinical) trial

INBRE: IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence

IND: Investigational New Drug

INN: International Nonproprietary Names (a pharmaceuticals list published by the

 World Health Organization)

INR: International Normalized Ratio

IO: Institutional Official

IOA: (Donald W. Reynolds) Institute on Aging
IOM: Institute of Medicine (National Academy of Science)
IP: intellectual property

IR&D: independent research and development

IRB: Institutional Review Board

IRG: Initial Review Group (NIH)  

ISMHO: International Society for Mental Health Online

ISPE: International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering

IST: investigator sponsor trial

IT: Information Technology

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J

JCAHO: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

JDRF: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
JEI: Jones Eye Institute

JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group
JV: journal voucher

L

LAR: legally authorized representative (in a consent form)
LDS: limited data set

LLC: limited liability company
LLP: limited liability partnership

LOI: letter of intent

LOTR: licensed occupational therapist

LPN: licensed practical nurse

LRF: Lymphatic Research Foundation

LVN: licensed vocational nurse

M

MAC: Minority Affairs Consortium (American Medical Association)
MAPS: Minority Association for PreHealth Students

MBRS: Minority Biomedical Research Support
MCA: Medicare Coverage Analysis

MCAT: Medical College Admissions Test
MCO: managed care organization

MCPG: Medical College Physician's Group

MDA: Muscular Dystrophy Association

MEMS: Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (Little Rock)

MIRECC: Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (VA)

MIRT: Minority International Research Training (Program); Myeloma Institute for
 Research and Therapy

MMRF: Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

MRC: (Pat and Willard Walker Family) Memory Research Center

M-RISP: Minority Research Infrastructure Support Program (AHRQ)

MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet

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N

NAAR: National Alliance for Autism Research

NAD: National Association of Doctors

NAIM: National Association of IRB Managers
NAMI: National Alliance for the Mentally Ill

NARA: National Archives and Records Administration

NARIC: National Rehabilitation Information Center

NARSAD: National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression

NAS: National Academy of Sciences

NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASULGC: National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges
NBAC: National Bioethics Advisory Commission (HHS)

NCCAM: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NIH)

NCD: National Coverage Decision [derived from the Health Care Financing
 Administration (now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) to determine
 Medicare coverage of clinical trials]
NCE: new chemical entities

NCER: National Center for Environmental Research (EPA)

NCES: National Center for Education Statistics

NCI: National Cancer Institute

NCMHD: National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIH)
NCMRR: National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NIH)
NCQA: National Committee for Quality Assurance

NCRR: National Center for Research Resources

NCTR: National Center for Toxicological Research

NDA: National Dental Association; new drug application (CDER/FDA); non-
 disclosure agreement

NEI: National Eye Institute (NIH)

NFLPN: National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses

NGO: non-governmental organizations (UN)

NHF: National Heart Foundation; National Hemophilia Foundation

NHGRI: National Human Genome Research Institute (NIH)

NHLBI: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH)

NHMA: National Hispanic Medical Association

NHRPAC: National Human Research Protections Advisory Committee

NHSC: National Health Service Corps

NIA: National Institute on Aging

NIAAA: National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

NIAID: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

NIAMS: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIH)

NIBIB: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIH)

NICHD: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH)

NIDA: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH)

NIDCD: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

NIDCR: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

NIDDK: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

NIDRR: National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitative Research

NIEHS: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIH)

NIGMS: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

NIH: National Institutes of Health

NIMH: National Institute of Mental Health

NINDS: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH)

NINDB: National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness (former name for
 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) (NIH)

NINR: National Institute of Nursing Research (NIH)

NIOSH: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NIRI: Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative

NLM: National Library of Medicine (NIH)

NLN: National League for Nursing

NMDP: National Marrow Donor Program

NMDS: Nursing Minimum Data Set
NMEL: Nutrition, Metabolism and Exercise Laboratory

NMRI: Naval Medical Research Institute

NMSS: National Multiple Sclerosis Society

NOF: National Osteoporosis Foundation

NOS: not otherwise specified
NRI: National Research Initiative
NSABB: National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity

NSABP: National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project

NSBRI: National Space Biomedical Research Institute
NSF: National Science Foundation

NSR: Non-significant Risk

NVPO: National Vaccine Program Office (HHS)

O

OAM: Office of Alternative Medicine (NIH)

OBA: Office of Biotechnology Activities (NIH)

OCOG: Online Collaborative Oncology Group

OCR: Office for Civil Rights (HHS)

OCT: Office for Clinical Trials

ODE: Office of Device Evaluation (CDRH/FDA)

ODPHP: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (HHS)

OFR: Office of the Federal Register

OHAP: Office of HIV/AIDS Policy (HHS)

OHRP: Office for Human Research Protections (HHS)

OHSR: Office of Human Subjects Research (NIH)

OIG: Office of Inspector General (HHS)

OIRA: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OMB)
OLAM: Office of Laboratory Animal Medicine (NHGRI)

OLAW: Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (NIH)
OMB: Office of Management and Budget (U.S.)

OMH: Office of Minority Health (HHS)
ONR: Office of Naval Research (DoD)

OPA: Office of Population Affairs (HHS)
OPC: Outpatient Center

OPHS: Office of Public Health and Science (HHS)

OPRR: Office for Protection from Research Risks (NIH/HHS) [former name for Office
 for Human Research Protections (OHRP)]

ORA: Office of Regulatory Affairs (FDA); Office of Research Administration [former
 name for Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP)]

ORC: Office of Research Compliance; operational research consultant
ORCA: Office of Research Compliance and Assurance [former name for Office of
 Research Oversight (VA)]

ORI: Office of Research Integrity (HHS)

ORO: Office of Research Oversight (VA)
ORS: Office of Research Support (a.k.a. Research Support Center)

ORSP: Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

ORWH: Office of Research on Women's Health (NIH)

OSG: Office of the Surgeon General (HHS)

OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSI: Office of Scientific Integrity [former name for Office of Research Integrity
 (ORI)]
OSTP: Office of Science and Technology Policy (U.S.)
OTR: occupational therapist

OWH: Office on Women's Health (HHS)

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P

PACE: Patient Advise and Consent Encounter (computer program)

PAHO: Pan American Health Organization (regional office of the World Health

 Organization)

PCP: primary care physician

PCPFS: President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (HHS)

PCRI: Prostate Cancer Research Institute

PCRP: Prostate Cancer Research Program (DoD)
PCRU: Pediatric Clinical Research Unit (ACH)
PD: project director

PDF: Portable Document Format

PDP: Product Development Plan
PDQ: Physicians Data Query (National Cancer Institute database)

PDR: Physicians’ Desk Reference

PEC: Pharmacoeconomic Center (DoD)
PHI: Protected Health Information

PHS: Public Health Service
PHSA: Public Health Service Act

PI: principal investigator
PMA: premarket approval (of a device)

POG: Pediatric Oncology Group

POST: Protocol Online Status Tracker

PPRU: Pediatric Pharmacology Research Unit (ACH)

PRCL: pre-review contingency letter
PREA: Pediatric Research Equity Act

PRIM&R: Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research

PRMC: Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee

PSRO: Professional Standards Review Organization

Q

QA: quality assessment

QI: quality improvement
QSO: qualified service organization

R

RAA: Research Acquisition Activity (DoD)
RAC: Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (NIH)

RCT: randomized clinical trial, randomized controlled trial
R&D: research and development
RD: registered dietitian

RDH: registered dental hygienist

RDRC: Radioactive Drug Research Committee (FDA)
REMS: Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (FDA)
RHAs: Regional Health Administrators (HHS)
RIHSC: Research Involving Human Subjects Committee (the IRB of the FDA)
RN: registered nurse

RO: responsible official

RPR: review preparatory to research (under the HIPAA Privacy Rule)
RR&D: Rehabilitation Research and Development (Service) (VA)
RSC: Research Support Center (a.k.a. Office of Research Support)
RSNA: Radiologic Society of North America

RSO: radiation safety officer (UAMS Occupational Health and Safety)

RSRA: (Office of) Research Support and Regulatory Affairs (former name for
 Research Support Center)

RTOG: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

RUI: Research in Undergraduate Institutions (NSF)

RWJF: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

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S

SAE: serious adverse event

SAMHSA: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (HHS)

SEER: Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program (NCI)