Stay Certified

Certification Expiring May 2019?

• Applications Due: May 31, 2019
• 24 Points-Earning Period: June 1, 2017 – May 31, 2019
• If you are maintaining your certification for the first time, you may report points earned as early as April 2017.

Dates and Fees

Early-Bird Application Period (February 8 – April 15, 2019)
Member Application Fee: $225

Non-Member Application Fee: $300

Regular Application Period (April 16 – May 31, 2019)
Member Application Fee: $250

Non-Member Application Fee: $325

Late Application Period (Received June 1- 30, 2019)
Member Application and Late Fee: $325

Non-Member Application and Late Fee: $400

**Maintenance of Certification fees are nonrefundable.** It is your responsibility to meet the program requirements and timelines. If an incomplete or deficient submission is made and not rectified by the Certification expiration date, all fees will be forfeited and you will lose your designation.

**Dual Certificant Discount** If more than one of the Academy’s credentials is held, you may maintain both designations at the same time. Both expiration dates will advance forward by 2 years. By maintaining together, you will receive a $50 discount and need only submit a total of 24 points. If you hold three certifications, please contact us for manual processing.

Maintaining your ACRP Certification boils down to these three activities:

1. Earning Points
2. Reporting Points
3. Applying for Maintenance

Learn more about each step by exploring the appropriate sections of this page. Additional details can be found in the Maintenance of Certification Handbook:

Read Handbook

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Try the Maintenance Resources page:

Maintenance Resources

Still have questions? Contact us and we will be happy to help you.

Continuing Education and Continuing Involvement

Continuing Education and Continuing Involvement are the two categories in which a certificant can participate in activities and earn points toward Maintenance of ACRP Certification.

What is Continuing Education (CE)?

CE pertains to instructional activities where the certificant is participating in a learning capacity. CE is also referred to as “coursework” or “training.”

There are 2 types of CE relevant to YOUR certification:

• Research Specific: Research Topics are defined as those that cover the actual “practice” of clinical research.  Examples include Informed Consent, Ethics, GCP, Regulatory Affairs, etc.

• Healthcare Specific: Disease/Bodily System/Healthcare Topics deal with the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of physical well-being. Examples of this can include Oncology, Psychiatry, soft skills, results of trial studies, etc.

View CE Options

What is Continuing Involvement (CI)?

CI is participation in a capacity other than learning. The certificant can be attending a meeting, serving/volunteering, presenting information, or providing oversight.

Continuing Involvement activities are:

• Always related to your role in clinical research.
• Sometimes required as part of one’s position.
• Required for CPIs.
• Optional for CCRAs, CCRCs, and ACRP-CPs.

Examples include attendance at Investigator Meetings, Site Initiation Visits, inclusion on a 1572, authoring a journal article, etc.

View CI Options for CCRC/CCRA/ACRP-CP

View CI Options for CPI

Continuing Education and/or Continuing Involvement activities (or Maintenance by Examination) that satisfy the Maintenance of Certification requirements must be completed and reported within the appropriate timeframe for a candidate’s maintenance period, as shown below. This also includes taking and passing the exam for maintenance.

Points must be earned two years prior to your Certification expiration date.

For Certifications Expiring May 2019:

Points must be earned between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2019.

If you earned Certification in 2017, your reporting timeframe begins April 2017.

All points earned through ACRP are automatically reported to your contact history upon completion of the activity evaluation. Points can be viewed by logging in and clicking on “My Account,” then “My CCRA/CCRC/CPI/CP Certification.” Click the “Activities Points Requirement” link. If the points are not listed, go to the “Learning Portal” link to complete the activity and the evaluation.

Candidates can view and report points at any time during the 2-year period. All activities not completed through/reported by ACRP must be self-reported using one of these methods:

1. Online – At any time, log on to acrpnet.org with your e-mail address and password; click on “My Account,” then “My Profile.” From there, select the account link that reads “My CCRA/CCRC/CPI/CP Certification.” Click on the “Activity Points Requirement” link.
2. Application Process – Please have all activity details ready to report before entering the online application. You will not be able to submit your application and payment until you have met the activity points requirement.

Report the following information about each activity:

• Activity Type
• Provider
• Activity Name
• Activity length in minutes (optional)
• Activity Points
• Date Completed

All documents for Maintenance must have the name of course, date, number of points, and the participant’s name printed on the certificate to be acceptable for credit. All other information listed is required for completing the Maintenance application and is the certificant’s responsibility to obtain.

Please do not include or upload certificates of completion during the points reporting or application process. This documentation is requested from candidates who are selected for the random Maintenance Documentation Verification Process only (see Maintenance Document Verification Process section in the Maintenance Handbook). It is recommended to keep all documentation supporting the claim for hours/points until their next Maintenance cycle is completed. The Academy reserves the right to request further documentation.

Submitting Your Application

This is the final step–after all points have been earned and reported. Payment must be submitted with the Maintenance Application and twenty (24) points.

The online application is easy and automatically traceable. Be prepared with any points reporting and credit card details as the application will timeout after 20 minutes of inactivity. You cannot save your work and return.

Steps to Apply Online

1. Scroll up to the top right corner of this page and log in to your ACRP account.
2. Once logged in, roll over “My Account” and click “My Profile.”
3. Under Account Links, select “My CCRA/CCRC/CPI/CP Certification.”
4. If you have all your required points entered into your account, click the blue button that reads “Submit Maintenance Fee.”
5. If you have not yet earned/entered your 24 required points, click the link that reads “Activity Points Requirement” to view a breakdown of your current points and to also add points. Once you have entered the required number of points, the blue “Submit Maintenance Fee” button will appear for you and you may proceed with your application.

For check or money transfer transactions, an online application must be completed.

Download Printable Application

Where can I find the Maintenance application?

The online and printable applications are available four months prior to your certification expiration date. They can be found under the “Applying for Maintenance” tab above or on the Maintenance Resources page.

What if I am paying by check?

If you are paying by check, download the printable application in addition to completing the online version. Payment will not be processed until your online application is complete and all 24 points are listed.

I can’t log in to the Maintenance application; it says I am not due at this time.

If you know that you are due to maintain it is possible that you have a duplicate record in the Academy’s database and you are logging in to the account that does not contain your Certification history. Contact us for assistance.

How can I be sure you received my Maintenance application?

You will receive an automatic email receipt once your payment has been processed.

How will I be notified if my application was approved?

An email notification will be sent upon successful completion of your Maintenance application. A certificate will be mailed within four weeks to the address that is listed on file. Also, visit the online Certification Registry and confirm the expiration date of your Certification. When Maintenance is successful, your Certification expiration date will advance two years.

I submitted my payment, why do I keep receiving notices that I need to maintain my Certification?

Please visit the online Certification Registry and confirm the expiration date of your Certification. When Maintenance is successful, your Certification expiration date will advance two years. If your application was not received (your expiration date has not changed in the registry), then verify that the payment submitted was for Maintenance and not membership renewal. ACRP Membership and Maintenance of Certification are separate programs requiring separate applications and fees.

How do I add my hours/points?

Contact hours/points may be entered into your ACRP profile at any time by clicking “My Account” and then “My Profile” after logging into the ACRP website with your credentials.

What are the types of points I can submit for maintenance?

Continuing Education (Research, Healthcare), and Continuing Involvement.  Be sure to read the Maintenance Handbook for points/hours requirements.

What is the definition of each continuing education topic area?

Candidates for Maintenance can take continuing education offerings in two (2) topic areas.

• Research – topics that cover the actual ‘practice’ of clinical research and follow the Detailed Content Outline (DCO) for that specific designation.
• Healthcare – topics that cover the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of physical well-being.

How do I determine the Activity/Contact Hour/Point Type?

The options available are ACRP, CBRN, CME, and Other. You need to review the certificate you received to determine the organization that accredited the program you attended or the type of hours earned. If you are still unclear, contact the organization that held the function.

What date do I use?

Enter the date that you attended or completed the program. If the program was longer than one day, enter the last day of the event.

Do I have to upload/submit my course certificates at the time of maintenance?

This is not required. Records of certificates should be kept in case you are randomly selected to participate in the Verification process.

What if I don’t have any points?  What other option do I have to maintain my Certification?

As an alternative to earning points, you can take and successfully complete the current form of the Exam for your credential prior to your Certification expiration date. Please download the Maintenance by Examination form and return via email or fax.

What if I want to maintain two credentials simultaneously?

If you hold two or more ACRP certifications, you may maintain both certifications at the same time and receive a $50 discount. Another benefit of maintaining both designations simultaneously is that the 24 points can be applied to both designations. Done separately, a total of 48 points must be completed (24 points for each credential).

I added my hours/points and submitted payment. Is that all I need to do?

Adding hours/points and submitting payment is completing the Maintenance application. Once your application is submitted, please allow up to two weeks for review. You will be sent an updated certificate once you have successfully maintained your credential.

Do my ACRP Membership dues cover my Maintenance fees?

No. Membership and Maintenance of Certification are two separate programs. Membership is renewed annually, while Maintenance is due every two (2) years.

Note: ACRP does not invoice for Certification. If you received an invoice, it was to renew your Membership with ACRP.

Do I have to be an ACRP Member in order to maintain my Certification?

ACRP Membership is not required, however, ACRP Members pay a lower maintenance fee, and have access to discounted training programs and contact hours, such as ACRP Home Study.

If I did not fulfill the maintenance requirements but have already submitted my payment, will I receive a refund?

Maintenance of Certification fees cover the review of your application and therefore are non-refundable. It is the certificant’s responsibility to be compliant with the program requirements and timelines. If a deficient application is submitted and is not rectified by the required deadlines, all fees will be forfeited and the certificant will no longer be permitted to use the designation.

Please contact us with any other questions.