The Georgetown University Medical Center announced a new program in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 10, a venture designed to foster joint research concerning regulatory science, ethics, education and training.

The Program for Regulatory Science and Medicine is believed to be the first undertaking of its kind because regulatory science is a relatively new field, according to the GUMC press release. Ira Shoulson, a neurologist and university faculty member, and the newly appointed director of PRSM, said the field focuses on new tools and methods to measure the safety and effectiveness of FDA regulated products.

“Most professionals in the field of regulatory science come from a background in laboratory research, medicine, pharmacy, bioethics and law,” Shoulson said in a press release. “There are no integrated educational programs designed specifically to train future regulators who will be responsible for developing and overseeing new and effective treatments and ensuring the safety of food products.”

The leadership of the program hopes to develop a graduate school educational component and to organize international symposia on regulatory science and medicine, according to the March 10 GUMC press release.

GUMC and the FDA began working together in February with the intention of creating such a program.

Jesse Goodman, FDA chief scientist and deputy commissioner for science and public health, said he was optimistic about the FDA’s affiliation with Georgetown.

“We are excited about this new partnership and the unique opportunities for supporting our goal of translating basic research discoveries into real world products that benefit patients and public health,” Goodman said in a Feb. 24 press release.