The Research Ethics Education Program in Jordan

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Applying ethical standards and norms to research both improves its quality and advances the research, in addition to protecting the rights of research participants. Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa suffer from a low level or non-existent availability of training in research ethics despite a growing research profile and level of activities in most of these countries. Our program, The Research Ethics Education Program in Jordan, was able in the past 5-year cycle to make an impressive impact on addressing this lack of training by achieving its proposed goals and more. There were 118 faculty and researchers trained during this period in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) from across 25 institutions in 12 different countries in the region. Those who graduated are strongly committed to continue their career in this field. In addition, more than 2,175 other graduate students, researchers, and faculty across the MENA region received training in RCR by our fellows and instructors through 45 different workshops during this period. Fellows have also led the publication of 40 peer-reviewed papers. In at least five academic institutions fellows are leading the establishment of ethics committees for the first time, and many are now members or leading existing ethics committees. We also achieved a three-fold higher representation of women among our fellows than currently found in academia in Jordan and many of the MENA countries, with 4 of our female fellows assuming administrative academic positions as deans and one as department chair. Our goal is to continue these achievements and take this program to the next level by establishing the first Master of Bioethics for the MENA which would be provided locally by the host research-intensive University, the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST). JUST will also establish a comprehensive Center for Research Ethics that will carry on the program’s training at multiple levels and offer certification and workshops in RCR. Arabic language certification in RCR will also be made available to universities in the MENA. If funded for renewal we will be able to transition the activities of the current program from the US-based-institution to the LMIC-based institution represented by JUST. Both the master’s, the proposed center, and the Arabic language RCR certification will provide vital capacity building in the region. It is being offered by a local university to graduate highly qualified trainees ready to lead the region in bioethics and responsible conduct of research, and expand the breadth of RCR training at the individual and institutional levels in the MENA. We have created a paradigm shift in the social norms associated with research and research ethics among our fellows, and at JUST. In this next phase we will expand on our success by adding more in-depth training offered through the Master of Bioethics and increase the breadth of dissemination of our activities through a greater number of MENA research and academic institutions.