Research Ethics

Human research ethics are founded on the principles of respect, beneficence, and justice. FHI adheres to these principles when considering individuals and communities for clinical trials and research studies. We work with in-country partners to ensure that all ethical areas are addressed, including community readiness, culturally appropriate informed consent, and review and approval by a local institutional review board (IRB) ethics committee, when available. We also help interested partners assess and upgrade operations of local IRBs and conduct basic research ethics workshops for local investigators, community representatives, and IRB members.

FHI shares knowledge with local ethical review committees to form responsible, productive community advisory boards and empower community members to be active partners through all phases of research. Additionally, we prepare local investigators and institutions (e.g., hospitals and clinics) to conduct studies with human participants that conform to the highest ethical standards. With sponsorship from WHO, NIH, and others, FHI has conducted workshops on research ethics in more than 50 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as well as through online curricula and training.

The Protection of Human Subjects Committee—FHI's independent external IRB—is composed of professional and community representatives.

For further information, contact services@fhi.org