Ethics and Compliance officer of the Institutional Review Board

Introduction

The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) strives to advance science and health for all, through innovative research, advanced education, capacity-building and capacity-sharing with partner institutions in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We aim for the highest ethical standards for medical and non-medical research that involves human participants, human data and human biological samples. We consider a culture of research ethics, research integrity, and fairness in research collaboration as a primary condition for good science.

To this end, the ITM Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviews all non-commercial research protocols in which ITM researchers are involved, in order to assure compliance with adequate ethics principles and requirements. As ITM is frequently involved in collaborative research projects with partner institutions in low- and middle-income countries, the IRB also verifies that ethical guidelines applicable in these countries are respected and that domestic regulatory and ethical approvals are secured. Moreover, the IRB reviews whether plans are in place to engage with research-targeted communities, to translate new knowledge into policies and practices, and to fairly collaborate and share the benefits of research with local communities and researchers. We aim at a constructive critical appraisal of research objectives, context and implications, and a proactive dialogue to deal with the concerns of research participants, communities and field researchers. We strive to be approachable and open for in-person discussion with ITM researchers and students on ethics challenges and dilemmas.

The IRB is a gender-balanced group, including a chairperson and two vice-chairpersons, supported by a secretary. It has close collaboration with the ITM Commission for Research Integrity, Data Protection Officer, and Biobank Manager. It actively contributes to ITM teaching activities, with the aim to shape ethics-informed behaviours among students, through teaching and coaching.

To strengthen the IRB and ensure sustainability in the long term along its road to a legally accredited ethics committee , we are looking for a Ethics and Compliance Officer of the IRB.

Your role :

• You will be the ‘first contact’ for ethics and research ethics within ITM.
• You will act as the Ethics and Compliance Secretariat of the IRB. In particular, you will -in coordination with the chair or vicechair- be in charge of the pre-assessment of submitted protocols; the allocation of protocols to reviewers; the critical consolidation of reviews; the reporting of IRB meetings; the initial assessment of the replies to the IRB; and the individual advise to researchers and students.
• In collaboration with the Biobank Manager, you will be in charge of the rapid ethical assessment of the non-research use of human biosamples.
• Together with the Data Protection Officer, you will be in charge of reviewing compliance with data protection regulations and the rapid ethics review of secondary use of retrospective data in research.
• You will coordinate the IRB teaching activities, and teach master and PhD students on ethics and research ethics.
• In collaboration with the Quality Assurance Unit, you will be the administrator of the IRB procedures, and you will have a proactive role in keeping them up-to-date, in line with emerging themes and concerns in (global health) research ethics.
• In collaboration with the chair, vice chairs and members, you will advance the IRB ethics reflection, and co-lead any related academic activities, such as contributions to ethics conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• You will explore, (co)develop and contribute to grant applications for new collaborative projects in the field of (global health) research ethics.
• You will play a key role in paving the way toward potential future accreditation for the IRB as per KB 4 April .

Requirements :

Offer :

The Institute of Tropical Medicine is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive institute. We strive for excellence and relevance, integrity, sustainability and persistence and fairness. Your assignment contributes to the socially relevant mission of the ITM. We value human dignity and diversity, academic creativity and a critical spirit, solidarity and cooperation, and the well-being of employees, students, patients and clients. We offer you :