Brazil's National Ethics Institute Launches Portal for Research Committee Accreditation

The National Institute of Research Ethics (Inaep), linked to Brazil's Ministry of Health, has created a dedicated webpage for the voluntary accreditation of Research Ethics Committees (CEPs). The portal provides legislation, application forms, technical quality dossier templates, an electronic submission system, a checklist, a guidance manual, a contact channel, and an updated list of accredited committees.

Accreditation follows three complexity levels: Level 1 permits evaluation of experimental surgeries and advanced drug tests; Level 2 covers early‑phase human clinical trials; Level 3 targets advanced therapies such as stem‑cell treatments. Applicants must submit via the RedCap platform, demonstrate at least five years of uninterrupted operation, and have completed at least 80% of analyses in the prior 12 months. Submissions are accepted continuously on business days, with an initial review within ten working days and technical evaluation up to 90 days. Corrections must be addressed within 30 days. Approved certifications are published in the Official Gazette and remain valid for three years.