International Research Ethics Training Program

Loue, Sana

Abstract

The proposed CWRU training grant in international research ethics builds upon and expands a highly successful international research training program, funded by the Fogarty International Center for a period of two years, and longstanding relationships with our overseas collaborating institutions. The training program, now in its second year, has at its foundation the training of Fellows from Uganda, Nigeria, Russia, and Romania in a Master's degree program in bioethics and, in addition, offers one in-country short course per year. ? ? Our proposed training program consists of a multi-component program to be conducted with five overseas collaborators, representing nine countries and territories: Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda; the University of Ibadan in Ibadan, Nigeria; St. Petersburg State University in St. Petersburg, Russia; the Colegiul Medicilor (Physicians' Council) in lasi, Romania; and the consortium of the Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios en Bioetica (Interdisciplinary Center for Studies in Bioethics), consisting of the University of Chile in Chile, Javeriana University in Colombia, Mayor University in Peru, the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico University. The proposed program comprises (1) CWRU-based training of four Fellows per year, who will receive an M.A. degree in bioethics (Uganda, Nigeria, Russia, and Romania); (2) the conduct of in-country short courses related to bioethics (Uganda, Nigeria, Russia, Romania, and the members of the consortium); (3) faculty-student exchanges (all sites); and (4) participation in the authorship and production of a quarterly newsletter addressing ethical issues of mutual interest (all sites). This multi-site, multi-faceted program is designed to (1) provide training in international ethics to professionals from a variety of disciplines to develop and enhance their ability to teach and to conduct research on acute and chronic diseases in developing countries; (2) provide advanced training to professionals in diverse fields who will assume leadership roles in their countries in ethics review and I or the teaching of ethics and/or the conduct of research involving human participants; and (3) develop and provide a vehicle for cross-cultural exploration of ethical issues relevant to the research context. The program and its courses will be evaluated on a regular basis through course and program evaluations of the Fellows, through the semi-annual evaluations by members of the CWRU Steering Committee and the International Program Advisory Committee, and through an annual evaluation of an independent external evaluator.