Membership
USD 50 per year
One annual membership covers the examination, the curriculum, and member resources. Passing the examination issues an educational credential. Membership is education, and nothing more.
What membership includes
The certification examination
Sittings are included with membership at no extra charge, within the published limits: up to three sittings in a rolling 12 months, with a 14-day wait after an unsuccessful sitting. Each seat may be rescheduled once, up to 48 hours before the sitting.
The full curriculum
Every module, lesson, knowledge check, and revision of the Independent Researcher curriculum, including updates released during your membership year.
An educational credential on passing
Passing requires at least 80 percent overall and every ethics item correct. A passing sitting issues a dated credential record with the curriculum version it represents.
Holder-controlled verification
You generate private, revocable share links for your credential. There is no public registry and no lookup by certificate number.
Regulatory Library and peptide database
Plain-language regulatory summaries with linked primary sources, and the peptide knowledge database with citations, evidence tiers, and stated limitations.
A Foundation email address, coming later
A @ruofoundation.org address for members who hold an active credential is a planned benefit. It is not available yet, and no address has been issued to anyone. Membership today does not include a mailbox.
What membership does not establish
- Medical, clinical, or veterinary training of any kind
- Permission or authorization to administer any material to a person or an animal
- FDA approval, clearance, registration, or any government recognition
- A license, and no determination that a particular activity is lawful
- Protection from regulatory enforcement or private litigation
- Endorsement of any product, seller, laboratory, or manufacturer
- A purchasing license, account, or discount with any seller
Billing, renewal, and cancellation
- USD 50 per year, charged when you join and again on each anniversary.
- You can cancel at any time from your portal. Cancellation stops future renewals and membership access continues until the end of the paid year.
- A credential already issued stays valid for its stated term even if membership lapses. Renewal requirements for the credential itself are published on the certification pages.
- Fees are non-refundable once a sitting has begun. If the Foundation cancels a sitting for a reason within its control, the seat is reinstated.
Where the money goes
Membership fees alone do not cover the cost of running the Foundation. They pay for examination delivery, payment processing, and part of the curriculum review. Scientific and legal review, testing literacy work, and future laboratory capability are funded by donations and grants.