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About CIP® Recertification

CIP® credential holders must recertify every three years. Recertification must be accomplished prior to the certification expiration date to avoid a lapse. If the lapse in certification is greater than six months, the CIP® must take and pass the examination to reinstate the credential. Certification must be maintained to continue using the CIP® credential after your name. Recertification may be achieved either by:
CIPs may recertify by continuing education twice in a nine-year period before being required to recertify by examination. Once an individual maintains their certification for over ten consecutive years, they may recertify solely through continuing education and do not need to sit for the examination.

Deadlines & Fees

Those who became certified or recertified in 2022 are due to recertify in 2025.

Recertification by Continuing Education

Candidates should submit their recertification by continuing education application before the due date so there is enough time to process your application and to ensure you have enough eligible continuing education credits before the deadline. Candidates’ credentials are valid during the review process.
Certification Date
Recertification Application Due Date
Certification Expiration Date
Spring 2022
June 1, 2025
June 30, 2025
Fall 2022
December 1, 2025
December 31, 2025

Recertification by Examination

Candidates may submit their exam applications on a rolling basis. After candidates’ exam applications are approved, they will be sent an email eligibility notice that contains their 90 day window in which they may test. Be sure to plan ahead to allow ample time for the review process and finding an exam appointment.
Certification Date
Date of Testing must be no later than
Certification Expiration Date
Spring 2022
June 30, 2025
June 30, 2025
Fall 2022
December 31, 2025
December 31, 2025

Recertification Fee

The recertification fee is $425 for all candidates, whether recertifying by continuing education or examination.

Recertification Options

Recertification by Examination

Candidates may opt to recertify by exam instead of completing continuing education credits. Review the CIP® Exam Handbook and our CIP® Exam webpage for more information on exam content and exam delivery options. For additional tools to support studying and exam preparation, visit our CIP® Exam Resources webpage. Examination applications may be submitted through PSI, our testing partner. Please upload a current CV/resume along with your application.
Submit Exam Application Here

Recertification by Continuing Education

Recertification by continuing education (CE) may be achieved by completing 30 hours of CE credits as described below in the recertification by CE guidelines and emailing all supporting documentation, a completed CE tracker, and the CIP® recertification by CE application to certification@primr.org. For detailed information and resources throughout the recertification by CE process, review our CIP® Recertification by CE Resources webpage. Those wishing to recertify by continuing education should download and complete the CE Tracker. Candidates must fill out the CEU Tracker tab within this spreadsheet; credit hours will automatically populate in the Credit Hours tab. Individuals are responsible for obtaining source documentation for recertification credit and for including copies of such documentation with their applications. Review our CIP® Documentation webpage for guidelines on obtaining documentation.
CIP® Recertification by CE Application
Download the Excel CE Tracker CIP® Documentation Webpage
CIP® Recertification by CE Resources Webpage

Submitting the Recertification by CE Application

August 2025: Our online application system is currently on pause while we make some updates. Please email your complete application to certification@primr.org for the time being. We now have an online application system for those who are recertifying by CE. Recertification candidates should log in to their PRIM&R profile to initiate the recertification process. Candidates will securely upload all supporting documentation, submit their completed Excel CE tracker, and fill out the CIP® recertification by CE application form online. Please note that candidates’ credentials are valid during the review process. Candidates can pay the recertification fee online through their PRIM&R profile. If a candidate prefers to pay via check, please make out the payment to PRIM&R and send it to the PO Box listed below. If paying via check, there will be an option to generate an invoice and notate that payment is forthcoming during the payment step of the online application system. Payment Address: P.O. Box 849502 Boston, MA 02284-9502
For more information on submitting your application online, watch and follow along with our step-by-step video!

Acceptable Continuing Education Activities

CIPs must complete 30 documented hours of CE in topics within the CIP® Body of Knowledge/Content Outline that are beyond the initial, basic, or fundamental level of knowledge. The Council encourages CIPs to complete CE activities representing a diversity of topics.
All CE credits must be earned after the date the examination was passed, but before the date the certification expires.  For those recertifying by CE for a consecutive time, CE credits for the second recertification cycle must be earned after the expiration date of the first certification.
Credit hours are awarded on an hour to hour (1:1) basis, meaning that every hour of classroom learning is equivalent to one continuing education credit. Credits are quartered in .25 increments, meaning every 15 minutes is equal to .25 credit hour.
At least 15 of the 30 hours must either:
Carry credits issued by a recognized accrediting body
Have received advance recognition from the CIP Council
  • Examples:
  • ACCME
  • ACPE
  • Nursing associations, professional organizations, or universities
  • Examples:
  • PRIM&R annual conference and workshops
  • PRIM&R webinars
  • AAHRPP annual conference (no pre-conference programs)
  • OHRP community forums
Acceptable continuing education credits for the 30 hours may include:
Programs sponsored by Common Rule signatories, including:
Programs sponsored by associations, including:
  • Examples:
  • DOE
  • FDA
  • NIH
  • OHRP
  • ORI
  • VA
  • Examples:
  • PRIM&R
  • AAHRPP
  • ACRP
  • CITI (select courses)
  • DIA
  • NCURA
  • SoCRA
  • SRA
  • Short courses or intensive courses on topics within the CIP® Body of Knowledge sponsored by bioethics centers, institutes, or universities.
  • Local and regional seminars, conferences, or presentations on topics within the CIP® Body of Knowledge.
  • Webinars/webcasts
  • Formal college courses such as research bioethics, responsible conduct of research, research design, grant design, research methodology, quantitative and qualitative research methods, field research techniques, and statistics; courses must be successfully completed. Each three-credit or semester course is equivalent to 10 CE credits. Please see documentation section for additional information.
  • Web-based courses that are designed for continuing education or have assigned CE hours, other than programs used for initial training.
  • Self-study programs including (but not limited to) books or journals with documented quizzes, tests, and/or exercises. Note: Functioning as a pre-publication reviewer of journal articles of any type, regardless of whether CE credits are issued for the activity, is not considered self study in this context and, therefore, does not qualify for CIP CE credits.

Unacceptable Continuing Education Activities

  • Topics outside the CIP® Body of Knowledge/Content Outline
  • Programs an individual develops and/or instructs
  • Disease/condition management topics
  • CPR training
  • Accreditation preparation activities
  • Hours spent attending IRB meetings
  • Education that is at an initial, basic, or fundamental level

CIP® Program Review Requests for Continuing Education Credit

The CIP® Council is available to review educational programs for continuing education credit. Please visit our CIP® Program Review Requests webpage for more information and to submit a request.

Denial of Recertification

Those who are denied recertification by CE because of improper/incomplete documentation may appeal that decision by writing to the Council for Certification of IRB Professionals, in care of PRIM&R. The letter must clearly describe the reasons why the candidate believes that recertification was improperly denied and include all documentation to support such a claim. This appeal must be postmarked no later than 30 days after the postmark date of the original denial letter. The appeal will be considered by the CIP® Council and written notice of the final decision will be sent to the candidate. There are no refunds if an audit reveals a problem with the application.