The 2023 Advancing Ethical Research (AER23) Virtual conference is hosted by Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) “works to ensure the highest ethical standards in research by providing education and other professional resources to the research and research oversight community.”
Kailee Kodama Muscente, MA, Ed.M. & Myra Luna Lucero, EdD presented a poster at AER23 entitled “Learning the Ropes: Advancing Ethical Conduct of New Student Researchers through the Research Compliance Educational Outreach Initiative” on educational and outreach efforts designed to support student researchers.
TC IRB is one of the first points of contact for students new to the Common Rule and IRB protocol submission process. Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) provides new researchers with basic human subjects protection training. However, federal regulations, local policies, and institutional requirements create challenging layers of compliance for novice researchers to navigate.
Efforts to Support Student Researchers
- TC IRB designs diverse modalities (e.g., video, audio, text) communicate IRB processes, FAQs, and policies and timely articles responsive to the current climate and needs of researchers.
- Outreach efforts targeted towards new students entering the research development phase and collaborated with student-centered departments.
- Options for 1:1 support calls with IRB administrators trained in institutional processes. Scaling options allow students to consult with senior leadership as needed.
- Mentorship-focused collaborations with student and peer-leaders brought to life projects that bridged both the student’s research interests and research ethics and compliance.
Evaluation of Support to Student Researchers
- Current program changes have only been informed by those who self-select to provide the IRB with feedback. Random sampling provides deeper assessment.
- Outreach initiatives were created for teaching institutions interfacing with student and faculty populations. The initiatives have not been tested with other institution types.
- Initiatives focused on demystifying the IRB submission process, doctoral dissertation submission requirements, and restructuring the knowledge repository.
- During the COVID-19 shutdown, the initiative provided researchers with timely guidance and assistance in shutting down, and later restarting, their studies. Quality assessments would help streamline these processes.