The NHRPAC work group engaged in such an effort and produced a table in which they categorized a number of common research procedures according to the level of risk presented by a single use of the procedure. That table is reproduced in Table 4.1.

Although NHRPAC has been disbanded, the successor SACHRP should be encouraged to continue its predecessor’s work to develop consensus assessments about the risk of common research procedures. To provide further guidance for investigators and reviewers of research, these consensus assessments should be accompanied by examples, citations of any relevant data, and explanations of the rationales for the categorization of procedures as involving either minimal risk or a minor increase over minimal risk.

The Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) can also assist