The Global Forum on Bioethics in Research (GFBR) is pleased to announce the launch of a new award for the best paper published by a low, lower middle or upper middle-income country (LMIC) colleague in the field of research ethics. You are invited to nominate a paper that you authored yourself, or a paper authored by someone else. The paper should focus on research in an LMIC context and relate directly to one or more recent GFBR meeting topics. Details on the scope of the award, eligibility and what to submit are available below. The deadline for submissions is 17 May 2020 17.00 GMT.
Purpose
The award recognises an individual’s contribution to the field of research ethics. It aims to advance the individual’s career by disseminating their research and raising their profile within their institution, nationally and internationally.
Frequency
Every other year in even years. The first award will be presented at GFBR 2020 and will apply to papers published in 2018 and 2019.
Scope
Papers should focus on research ethics in a low, lower middle and upper middle-income country contexts[1] and relate directly to one or more recent GFBR meeting topics:
- Emerging epidemic infections and experimental treatments (2015)
- The ethics of research in pregnancy (2016)
- The ethics of alternative clinical trial designs and methods in LMIC research (2017)
- The ethics of data sharing and biobanking in health research (2018)
- Genome editing for human benefit: ethics, engagement and governance (2019)
Eligibility
- The nominated author and their paper must fall within the scope of the award. Nominations outside the scope will not be considered.
- The nominated author should be from a low, lower middle and upper middle-income country[1]. Authors from high-income countries are not eligible for this award.
- Multi-authored papers will be considered if accompanied by a letter or letters from the other authors stating that most of the work was done by the author entering this competition. Multi-authored papers can include authors from high income countries.
- Papers should be peer reviewed.
- Papers can be original research or a shorter perspective/viewpoint. The manuscript must not exceed 8000 words, excluding the bibliography.
- Authors at all career stages are eligible but junior career scholars will be weighted more heavily (i.e. up to 15 years from completion of undergraduate degree).
- Key GFBR funders require their funded researchers to publish open access. However, this award is open to researchers funded by a broader range of funders and it is recognised that some authors may not be able to meet the costs associated with open access publication. Therefore, for this year’s competition, open access publishing is not a requirement. However, the author must ensure, and confirm e.g. in their introduction letter, that GFBR is able to publish the successful paper on its website.
- The paper can be published in any journal.
- Publication was in 2018 or 2019.
- Papers should be English language.*
- Papers authored by GFBR fellows are eligible.
- Papers published as part of the GFBR proceedings are not eligible.
* Non-English language papers may also be submitted, with a translation, to be considered for special recognition. The translation is the responsibility of the author. This recognition is separate to the main award and will result in commendation on the GFBR website.
Award
The award recipient will be invited to attend the next GFBR meeting, with travel and accommodation costs covered by GFBR’s funders. An announcement about the successful awardee – along with their paper – will be published on the GFBR website.
Submissions
Anyone can make a submission e.g. the author, GFBR Steering and Planning Committee members, GFBR participants and others. Submissions should include:
- an introduction letter from the person making the nomination (maximum 2 pages)
- short CV of the author (maximum 4 pages)
- the published version of the paper
- a consent form, completed by the author (see privacy statement below). If you are nominating an author, please make them aware and ask them to complete the consent form.
- confirmation from the author that, if successful, their paper can be published on the GFBR website.
- for multi-authored papers only: a letter or letters from the other authors stating that most of the work was done by the author entering this competition.
Full submissions should be sent to Adrienne Hunt, GFBR Secretary, by 17 May 2020 17.00 GMT (gfbr@wellcome.ac.uk). Incomplete submissions will not be considered.
Privacy statement
The Global Forum on Bioethics in Research (GFBR) is comprised of a ‘Steering Committee’ the composition of which is set out here.
When nominated for the GFBR paper award the contents – including your personal information that is set out below – will be stored and processed by Wellcome and those acting on behalf of Wellcome, including the GFBR Secretariat. For this, The Wellcome Trust Limited will be the data controller and details in relation to contact details for the data protection officer, and your rights in relation to your personal data (including the right of access to or erasure of your personal data), are set out in Wellcome’s Privacy Statement.
The lawful basis for Wellcome’s processing of your personal data is that Wellcome has a legitimate interest as a co-funder of GFBR and performing the role of GFBR Secretariat so that the GFBR Steering Committee can perform its function to review your nomination for the paper award. As set out below, the Steering Committee is comprised of people from organisations outside of Wellcome and the processing by Wellcome will include sending on your personal data to them in accordance with this privacy statement.
Your personal data will be stored securely on Wellcome’s servers and will not be shared with any third parties except as set out below.
Your personal data will be retained in accordance with Wellcome’s retention policies as set out in Wellcome’s Privacy Statement.
Recipients of your personal data – including recipients that are based outside of the EEA
For the purposes noted above, Wellcome will transfer your personal data to the parties noted below. In each case, those parties are data processor that have been appointed on behalf of Wellcome to perform the processing on Wellcome’s behalf, as set out in this privacy statement.
The parties will only be able to access your personal data via Wellcome’s secure servers and will access these servers remotely.
Where members of the Steering Committee are based outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) and there are not appropriate safeguards in place, Wellcome will only transfer your personal data where you have consented. This consent can be provided by you separately to this privacy statement. Please note that this consent is entirely optional. If you do not wish to provide your consent in relation to Wellcome sending your personal data to jurisdictions outside of the EEA, please note that this will not adversely affect your nomination.
Nominated authors are asked to record their preferences on this consent form and submit it with the nomination.
GFBR Steering Committee
Katherine Littler, World Health Organisation, Switzerland; Michael Parker, Oxford University, UK; Rachel Knowles, UK Medical Research Council, UK; Carla Saenz, Pan American Health Organisation, USA; Barbara Sina, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, USA; Douglas Wassenaar, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Ross Upshur, University of Toronto, Canada; Paul Ndebele, George Washington University, USA; Teck Chuan Voo, National University of Singapore, Singapore and Phaik Yeong Cheah, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Thailand; Anant Bhan, Yenepoya University, India; Jantina De Vries, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Ana Palmero, National Ministry of Health, Argentina and Dan O’Connor, Wellcome, UK.
Personal Data provided by you
- Introduction letter
- Your CV
- Your paper
- Your institution
- Your contact information
General
All information collected will be handled in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulations and, in addition to the information noted in Wellcome’s Privacy Statement, you have the option to request that we do not process your personal data by contacting gfbr@wellcome.ac.uk. Also, if you have provided any consent for Wellcome to process your personal data (please see above) then you can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting gfbr@wellcome.ac.uk. We will retain your personal information in accordance with Wellcome’s retention policy. For further information about how Wellcome handles personal data, go to Wellcome’s Privacy Statement.
[1] As designated by the World Bank https://datatopics.worldbank.org/world-development-indicators/the-world-by-income-and-region.html