Independent education and standards body
RUO Foundation exists to make responsible independent research easier to understand, and to establish higher voluntary standards for businesses participating in the Research Use Only ecosystem.
Not a lab. Not a seller. Not a law firm. Not a medical or government authority.
Pre-launch, in formation
RUO Foundation is being built in the open. Certification and the educational material are still in draft, under scientific and legal review, and no credential has been issued to anyone.
Live today
Not live yet
Who is building this, how the Foundation is funded, and its formation status are set out on the about page.
New to independent research? Start with RUO Certification Level I and learn the fundamentals of research-use-only materials, safety, documentation, scientific method and regulatory awareness.
Start Level IReady to go deeper? Level II covers research design, evidence, advanced documentation and the regulatory frameworks surrounding independent research.
Explore Level IIResponsible suppliers have responsibilities beyond putting Research Use Only on a label. RUO Foundation publishes voluntary guidance on product identity, labeling, testing documentation, traceability and marketing boundaries so sellers can hold themselves to a documented pledge.
Read the seller pledgeRUO Foundation does not certify, approve, list, or endorse sellers. The guidance is published for education and public comment only.
Both are for independent researchers. Every credential records the course version, the curriculum version, the assessment result, and the attestations the holder acknowledged.
RUO-L1
The foundation of responsible independent research.
People with little or no formal research background who want to begin conducting independent research responsibly.
RUO-L2
Advanced independent research principles.
People who have completed Level I or already possess equivalent foundational knowledge.
RUO Foundation certification demonstrates completion of an independent education and research-literacy standard.
The Regulatory Library supports all three certifications. Every entry gives the general rule in plain English, explains why it matters, names the facts that change the answer, and links the primary source so you can read it yourself.
Open the Regulatory LibraryEducation before experimentation.
Standards before assumptions.
Understand the research. Understand the rules. Document the work.
Researcher status does not determine which laws apply. The research itself does. The Foundation does not pretend regulatory ambiguity away, and it does not manufacture legal conclusions to make anyone comfortable.
Membership is $50 USD per year and includes the curriculum, the certification examination, the Peptide Knowledge Database, and the Regulatory Library. Membership fees fund curriculum review, legal review, and testing literacy work.