INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ETHICS NETWORKS FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA
Solomon R Benatar
University Of Cape Town
research & Innovation
rondebosch, 7700
Grant 5R25TW006057-07 from Fogarty International Center IRG: ZRG1
Abstract: Our "International Research Ethics Network for Southern Africa" (IRENSA) program is unique in Africa It offers mid-career professionals the opportunity to obtain a post-graduate Diploma in International Research Ethics by attending 3 x two-week intensive modules over one academic year, with Practicum assignments completed at their home institutions. Based at the University of Cape Town and taught by a multidisciplinary faculty with national and international reputations in bioethics, IRENSA´s two-pronged program will have in 2003-2006 met all the goals it had set in our previous application. Our 49 Diploma students are REG members, scientists, clinicians, academics, government and military regulators, and researchers from the public and private sectors; they are drawn from 31 institutions, and serve on 20 RECs in S Africa and 9 in 8 other African countries. Over 100 participants are stimulated and taught at our annual two day seminar. Our goal during a renewed funding cycle will be to build on these achievements. We will continue to develop sustainable multidisciplinary expertise in the ethical, social and legal principles of international research in the cross-cultural context of low and medium-income countries in Africa, which is experiencing a rapidly increasing volume of clinical research in HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Without sacrificing any of the content of our previous Diploma program, we shall expand our curriculum to include a new module on ´Global health, public health ethics and public health research ethics.´ We will provide students with the concepts and skills required to effectively review proposed research on HIV/AIDS and other infectious and locally common diseases. IRENSA´s renewed program will i) train 40 or more students for a Diploma in International Research Ethics; and ii) continue its popular annual two day seminar for over 100 participants. Through its unique Diploma program and annual seminar, IRENSA will continue to build the capacity of a critical mass of REC members in research ethics on the African continent. We shall follow our previous commitment to training a gender and ethnically-balanced cadre of mutidisciplinary scholars. With completion of this second cycle we will have established the basis for sustainable ongoing education and high quality performance of RECs that are essential for public health in sub-Saharan Africa
Keywords: ethics, health science research, training Africa
Project start date: 2002-08-09
Project end date: 2010-06-30
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INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ETHICS NETWORK, SOUTHERN AFRICA
Solomon R Benatar
University Of Cape Town Research And Innovation Rondebosch, 7700
Grant 5R25TW006057-04 from Fogarty International Center IRG: ZRG1
Abstract: The overall goal of our proposed new program entitled the International Research Ethics Network for Southern Africa (IRENSA) is to develop and nourish sustainable multidisciplinary expertise in international research ethics and bioethics in the region. The main objective of the program is to provide a gender-balanced cadre of 48 developing-country scientists, academics, clinicians and Research Ethics Committee (REC) members with specialized, graduate level training in ethical, social and legal principles. The training is designed to guide responsible conduct of research on vulnerable subjects in the cross-cultural context of medium and low-income countries. Two supplementary and synergistic objectives will be a) to stimulate broader interest and training in research ethics for REC members and researchers and b) to develop a Southern Africa network of RECs. These objectives will be achieved through a) a 12 month nationally registered post-graduate Diploma in International Research Ethics; b) short courses to train and update 75 members of research ethics committees (RECs) each year, some of whom will be recruited into the Diploma program; and c) a Research Ethics Network to support the work of RECs by providing educational resources and news on current research development; tracking trainees career development, and promoting exchange of information among Network participants. Given the concern about unethical research and the enormous increase in the volume of clinical research in developing countries, especially in relation to HIV/AIDS, this unique program, taught by a multidisciplinary Faculty with national and international reputations in bioethics, will have a considerable impact on the ethics of research in Southern Africa.
Keywords: ethics, health science research, training, Africa
Project start date: 2002-08-09
Project end date: 2006-05-31
5R25TW006057-04 (2005): $185315
5R25TW006057-03 (2004): $182372
5R25TW006057-02 (2003): $179568
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ETHICS NETWORKS FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA
Solomon R Benatar
University Of Cape Town
research & Innovation
rondebosch, 7700
Grant 5R25TW006057-06 from Fogarty International Center IRG: ZRG1
Abstract: Our "International Research Ethics Network for Southern Africa" (IRENSA) program is unique in Africa It offers mid-career professionals the opportunity to obtain a post-graduate Diploma in International Research Ethics by attending 3 x two-week intensive modules over one academic year, with Practicum assignments completed at their home institutions. Based at the University of Cape Town and taught by a multidisciplinary faculty with national and international reputations in bioethics, IRENSA´s two-pronged program will have in 2003-2006 met all the goals it had set in our previous application. Our 49 Diploma students are REG members, scientists, clinicians, academics, government and military regulators, and researchers from the public and private sectors; they are drawn from 31 institutions, and serve on 20 RECs in S Africa and 9 in 8 other African countries. Over 100 participants are stimulated and taught at our annual two day seminar. Our goal during a renewed funding cycle will be to build on these achievements. We will continue to develop sustainable multidisciplinary expertise in the ethical, social and legal principles of international research in the cross-cultural context of low and medium-income countries in Africa, which is experiencing a rapidly increasing volume of clinical research in HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Without sacrificing any of the content of our previous Diploma program, we shall expand our curriculum to include a new module on ´Global health, public health ethics and public health research ethics.´ We will provide students with the concepts and skills required to effectively review proposed research on HIV/AIDS and other infectious and locally common diseases. IRENSA´s renewed program will i) train 40 or more students for a Diploma in International Research Ethics; and ii) continue its popular annual two day seminar for over 100 participants. Through its unique Diploma program and annual seminar, IRENSA will continue to build the capacity of a critical mass of REC members in research ethics on the African continent. We shall follow our previous commitment to training a gender and ethnically-balanced cadre of mutidisciplinary scholars. With completion of this second cycle we will have established the basis for sustainable ongoing education and high quality performance of RECs that are essential for public health in sub-Saharan Africa
Keywords: ethics, health science research, training Africa
Project start date: 2002-08-09
Project end date: 2010-06-30
5R25TW006057-06 (2007): $223288
Grants awarded to Solomon R Benatar
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ETHICS NETWORKS FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA
Solomon R Benatar
University Of Cape Town Research And Innovation Rondebosch, 7700
Grant 2R25TW006057-05 from Fogarty International Center IRG: ZRG1
Abstract: Our "International Research Ethics Network for Southern Africa" (IRENSA) program is unique in Africa It offers mid-career professionals the opportunity to obtain a post-graduate Diploma in International Research Ethics by attending 3 x two-week intensive modules over one academic year, with Practicum assignments completed at their home institutions. Based at the University of Cape Town and taught by a multidisciplinary faculty with national and international reputations in bioethics, IRENSA s two-pronged program will have in 2003-2006 met all the goals it had set in our previous application. Our 49 Diploma students are REG members, scientists, clinicians, academics, government and military regulators, and researchers from the public and private sectors; they are drawn from 31 institutions, and serve on 20 RECs in S Africa and 9 in 8 other African countries. Over 100 participants are stimulated and taught at our annual two day seminar. Our goal during a renewed funding cycle will be to build on these achievements. We will continue to develop sustainable multidisciplinary expertise in the ethical, social and legal principles of international research in the cross-cultural context of low and medium-income countries in Africa, which is experiencing a rapidly increasing volume of clinical research in HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Without sacrificing any of the content of our previous Diploma program, we shall expand our curriculum to include a new module on Global health, public health ethics and public health research ethics. We will provide students with the concepts and skills required to effectively review proposed research on HIV/AIDS and other infectious and locally common diseases. IRENSA s renewed program will i) train 40 or more students for a Diploma in International Research Ethics; and ii) continue its popular annual two day seminar for over 100 participants. Through its unique Diploma program and annual seminar, IRENSA will continue to build the capacity of a critical mass of REC members in research ethics on the African continent. We shall follow our previous commitment to training a gender and ethnically-balanced cadre of mutidisciplinary scholars. With completion of this second cycle we will have established the basis for sustainable ongoing education and high quality performance of RECs that are essential for public health in sub-Saharan Africa.
Keywords: ethics, health science research, training, Africa
Project start date: 2002-08-09
Project end date: 2010-06-30
2R25TW006057-05 (2006): $237541
SOUTH AFRICA RESEARCH ETHICS CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT
Solomon R Benatar
University Of Cape Town
research & Innovation
rondebosch, 7700
Grant 5R25TW001598-02 from Fogarty International Center IRG: ZRG1
Abstract: Bioethics remains largely unaddressed in Africa. In South Africa (SA), it is a fledgling field of activity being slowly developed by a small group of enthusiastic and competent scholars. The range of teaching programs delivered at undergraduate and postgraduate levels is very limited. Two part-time MPhil courses in Bioethics are currently being offered (UCT and US). There is a great need to train competent bioethicists and to develop and expand educational programs, especially in the context of (I) advances in health care, (II) changes in health care delivery, (III) the need to make complex resource allocation decisions, (IV) attempts to create a democratic society, in which human rights are respected, (V) the HIV/AIDS epidemic (VI) the expansion of international research activities, (VII) the need for international vaccine trials, and (VIII) recent research fraud in SA. A collaborative approach, drawing on the best scholars available in South Africa and consultants from abroad, will be used to develop and deliver a cluster of training programs in ethics. Teaching will be concentrated in, but not limited to, the Western Cape Province, and students will be drawn from South Africa and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. The educational component of this proposal will go beyond the current courses for undergraduates, to include redesigned and new programs for postgraduates (Masters degree and a Diploma), and short courses for clinicians, members of RECS, and scientists in training. This application for a Fogarty Grant is to enable the achievement of five main objectives in a middle income country (I) to develop a program of ethics education courses, (II) to undertake some empirical research, (III) to build the capacity of an expanded core of scholars who could sustain the bioethics and research ethics enterprise and (IV) to empower the medical and scientific communities, through training and exposure to bioethics education, to participate as partners in international endeavors to improve health care in Southern Africa, and (V) to encourage a new perception of science and medicine in our society
Keywords: Africa, curriculum, educational resource design /development, ethics, health care personnel education, postgraduate education AIDS education /prevention, AIDS vaccine, HIV infection, career, cooperative study, epidemiology, income, perception, socioeconomics, training program /project
Project start date: 2000-09-30
Project end date: 2002-09-29
5R25TW001598-02 (2001): $50000
1R25TW001598-01 (2000): $50000