On March 3, faculty, staff, students, and members of the broader national research community gathered virtually to discuss how the pandemic is changing research ethics. Conducting Research in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Ethics in an Emergency, hosted by the University of Minnesota, explored issues ranging from how to advance equity in pandemic research and care, how to reconcile the need for research with the clinical imperative to save lives, and how the pandemic is affecting the way researchers plan and conduct their studies.
The webinar, this year’s installment of the annual Research Ethics Day conference, was presented by the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment, and the Life Sciences; the Office of the Vice President for Research; the Masonic Cancer Center; and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. It followed a series of previous webinars called COVID Controversies that brought together thought leaders from across the country and audiences from around the world to define what ethical research looks like during the pandemic. Read more about this year’s event and watch a full recording of the conference.
Research Ethics Week
The University also encouraged colleges and departments across the UMN system to participate in Research Ethics Week (March 1 to 5) by holding department-led educational opportunities focused on professional development and best practices to promote, maintain, and model high standards of ethics and integrity in research. This year’s topics focused on addressing the impact of COVID-19 on research ethics. See a list of participating units and their topics.