September 2021

In September 2019, I was the recipient of the joint award for Professional Excellence in Research Management, which included funding to attend a conference. With this award money, I was able to attend the Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research’s (PRIM&R) 2020 Advancing Ethical Research Conference (AER2020). This conference is usually held in Boston, USA, but due to restrictions on international travel, the format was changed to a virtual event. 

The conference occurred during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA and following the tragic event of George Floyd’s death. The primary theme of the conference was on the principle of justice in the Belmont Report and what that means for ethical research considering global socio-economic inequalities and injustice. Presentations and discussions were focussed on the role that RECs can play in promoting social justice and ensuring benefit through research ethics review.

Part of my registration to the conference included a one-year membership to PRIM&R’s online resources, which I have consulted to update my institution’s REC procedures. Thank you SARIMA for supporting my development and making my attendance of this conference possible.

Written by Clarissa Graham