Research Ethics Committee Systems Optimization

Research Ethics Committee Systems Optimization

The MRCT Center collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO), the African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF), and other local organizations to build capacity for National Ethics Committees (NECs) across Africa and worldwide. Our work aims to strengthen the ability to apply ethical principles to the review of research, harmonize the clinical trial application review process, and build a robust, competent, and efficient system for the ethics review of clinical research in African countries. In support of that effort, we are co-creating common tools, templates, and other resources for use by ethics committees across Africa and beyond. We aim to develop and deliver curricula to strengthen and improve the clinical research process.

The online, on-demand training course on Ethics and Review of Interventional Clinical Research course is now freely available on the WHO Academy platform. Development for the second course in the series, Ethics and Review of Interventional Clinical Research II, is ongoing and anticipated to be available in the fall of 2025.

In 2025, the MRCT Center joined the Africa Clinical Trial Regulatory and Ethics System Optimization project as a Core Project Team Member. In this role, the MRCT Center will lead system assessments using the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool for Ethics Committees, provide training and capacity building for NECs/Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), define and implement an IRB reliance approach, and develop a national accreditation program under the NEC. Additionally, the MRCT Center will work collaboratively with the group to create a model fee structure for NECs to enable them to charge differentiated and meaningful fees, develop a financial sustainability plan, and support the development of robust ethics systems that integrate effectively with national regulatory authorities. This work is being carried out in collaboration with AVAREF and is supported by funding from the Gates Foundation.

---

Project Resources