Ethics in Translational Medicine I

This course is the first of the two ethics courses in the BRIDGE – Translational Excellence Programme. Researchers are not only legally obliged to seek approval from relevant ethical review bodies such as the Regional Research Ethics Committee (for human research) or the Animal Experiments Inspectorate (for animal research), but are also morally responsible for reflecting on the broader impact of their work. While this course emphasises the former – ensuring compliance with legal frameworks and ethical review processes – the latter, more philosophical and reflective aspects – will be explored in the Ethics II course.

This is a discussion-based course. Participants will bring examples from their own projects, which will be used to illustrate real-world applications of the course material.

The course will cover:

• A brief historical overview of research ethics
• The legal framework governing research involving subjects and animals
• Core principles of responsible conduct of research
• The structure and function of the research ethics committee system
• Fundamentals of informed consent and crafting participant information sheets
• Writing and submitting applications to research ethics committees
• Special considerations for ‘participant data’ as required in human research applications

This course also provides practical insights into common challenges researchers face when preparing ethics applications, and how to effectively secure the necessary permissions.