A new online course on research ethics is being released in March 2022 through the University’s Training Hub, as part of CTSI’s participation in Research Ethics Week. The Research Ethics module is designed to help research professionals learn and review regulations and best practices for biomedical and behavioral science research ethics.
Shared responsibility
Research ethics is a shared responsibility among everyone involved in research. This module is one of the many ways CTSI contributes to the University’s ongoing core commitment to meeting, upholding, and exceeding the highest ethical standards in research practices involving human participants. The Research Ethics Module allows all levels of research team members, from trainees and administrative staff to investigators, to learn and refresh their knowledge about conducting ethical research. The module was created by CTSI with contributions from across the University of Minnesota, including the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences, the Center for Bioethics, and the Human Research Protection Program.
The module’s release coincides with Research Ethics Week, an annual University of Minnesota event focused on professional development and best practices to ensure safety and integrity in research. The week includes a virtual conference presented by the University’s Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences. The conference on “Deepening Engagement and Equity in Research: Next Steps in Research Ethics” is free and open to the public; CLE and AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ credits are offered.
“As we approach our seventh annual Research Ethics Day at the University of Minnesota, it’s exciting to see CTSI’s new, up-to-date module for the research community,” said Susan M. Wolf, JD, Chair of the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences, and CTSI partner.
CTSI Director Bruce Blazar, MD, PhD, says, “We hope this will be an engaging and informative module for everyone involved in research, and will reinforce the shared responsibility we all have to commit ourselves to ethical, equitable research.”
A personalized learning experience
Research faculty, staff, and students can complete the online module at their own pace and refer back to lessons and resources as needed. The full course is approximately an hour long, with many opportunities for further exploration. Learning objectives include:
- Defining research ethics.
- Understanding current ethical codes, regulations, and best practices for conducting human research.
- Applying the four main ethical principles (respect for persons, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice) to your research study.
- Recognizing common ethical challenges in a clinical trial setting.