AmeriCorps volunteers must now follow federal rules for human research

AmeriCorps is adopting the federal rules for protecting human subjects in research. This means any research involving AmeriCorps volunteers will now be subject to the same ethical and safety standards as other federally funded studies.

For years, some federal agencies had their own rules for human research, or no clear rules at all. This meant that people participating in studies run by those agencies might not have the same protections as those in studies run by, say, the National Institutes of Health. This change brings AmeriCorps into alignment with the Common Rule, ensuring a consistent baseline of protection for its volunteers.