ICMR Training on Roles & Responsibilities of Ethics Committee Members
Each member of a multidisciplinary ethics committee (EC) has a different role and responsibility. Legal Experts, Social Scientists,
Ethicists, Philosophers, Theologians, Community Representatives, Lay persons, and others constitute the Non- Medical Members of an EC and have an important
role to be the voice of the research participant in an EC meeting. They along with medical members have to ensure scientific soundness of the study as well as
ethical validity. Often this role is neither understood nor reflected well in the EC deliberations. There are various reasons, often not understood, that limit
the participation of non-medical members in the presence of medically qualified members. Concrete efforts are needed to improve the EC dynamics and to make the
members feel empowered and more vocal during an EC meeting to carry out their responsibility efficiently. Chairperson and Member Secretory of an EC
have to play a facilitatory role in an EC.
In view of the above, ICMR Bioethics Unit, NCDIR, Bengaluru, which is the WHO Collaborating Centre for Strengthening Ethics in
Biomedical and Health Research, is organising a training programme for all the members of EC, to come together and identify ways of improving the
functioning of ethics committee towards protecting the rights, welfare, safety and well-being of research participants.
The training program will be held on 16th March 2021 at 10.00 AM - 1.30 PM (IST).
