Research in resource-poor settings—whether in the U.S. or internationally—presents unique ethical and logistical challenges. While U.S. regulations provide clear protections for human subjects, these may not always align with local regulations and practices.

The UTMB Center for Tropical Diseases (CTD) is committed to protecting human subjects in all research and complying with all U.S., international, and local regulations governing ethical research practices.

In addition to these regulations, we uphold the following ethical principles for international research, adapted from the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (2001).

Key Ethical Considerations:

1. Informed Consent: Informed consent must be a leading principle for both U.S. and international research team members.
2. Tailored Consent Processes: The way participants are informed and how consent is documented should be adapted to the local environment to ensure full understanding and compliance.
3. Participant Understanding: Researchers should incorporate comprehension assessments into the enrollment process. Research should only proceed if participants clearly understand what the study entails.
4. Ethics Board Review: All human subject research must be reviewed by an appropriate ethics board.
5. International Review Requirements: Studies conducted across borders must be reviewed in all participating countries.
6. Local Context Awareness: U.S. Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) must be aware of local realities when approving research in resource-poor settings. Ethics Training & Support: Local ethics review boards may benefit from training and mentorship to strengthen their expertise in research ethics.
7. Ongoing Monitoring: Research studies should be periodically reviewed to ensure compliance with the approved protocol.
8. Capacity Building: Research in resource-poor settings should include efforts to strengthen local scientific and institutional capacity. Community Benefit: The study population or community should experience tangible benefits as a direct result of the research.

Successful research in tropical diseases depends on sustainable international partnerships between diverse investigators and institutions. Without true partnerships, both the integrity and success of research may be compromised.

The UTMB Center for Tropical Diseases is committed to fostering strong, ethical, and mutually beneficial international research collaborations. By adhering to these principles, CTD aims to promote ethical, impactful, and sustainable international research collaborations.

Principles of Ethical & Effective Collaboration:

1. Trust & Partnership: Collaborators must establish genuine, trust-based relationships.
2. Mutual Benefit: Research should provide meaningful benefits to all involved investigators and institutions.
3. Fair Recognition: All research personnel should receive appropriate acknowledgment and opportunities for professional advancement.
4. Shared Values & Practices: Partners should respect and integrate each other’s values and research practices.
5. Equitable Resource Allocation: Resources should be fairly distributed to ensure effective research execution.
6. Aligned Research Goals: Short- and long-term research objectives must be clearly defined and agreed upon.
7. Defined Roles & Responsibilities: Each collaborator and trainee should have a clear understanding of their responsibilities.
8. Transparent Authorship Practices: Expectations for authorship in publications should be proactively discussed and agreed upon.
9. Data Management & Sharing: Partners should establish clear agreements for data collection, management, sharing, and analysis.
10. Capacity Building: The collaboration should enhance the scientific capacity of researchers and institutions in resource-poor settings.
11. Trainee Support & Respect: Mutual respect must be extended to trainees from all partnering institutions.
12. Acknowledging Support Teams: Researchers must recognize and appreciate team members working behind the scenes.
13. Compliance with Institutional Policies: All research must adhere to the policies and legal frameworks of each partnering institution.