Deadline for applications: 17.00 CET on Monday 15 May 2023
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Background
GFBR seeks to bring researchers, research policy makers and ethicists, among others together to share experiences and promote collaboration around research ethics. The Forum will be built around case study presentations to ensure that discussion of the ethical issues remain grounded in the practical realities of how research is conducted and prioritised, particularly in low resource settings. Compared to traditional meetings, GFBR is unique in that it is limited in size and built around small group discussions of case studies that are submitted by participants. The Forum prioritises the participation of colleagues from low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), encourages networking and mentoring, and creates a venue for open and inclusive discussions. For more information visit: www.gfbr.global.GFBR is seeking two types of participants for the meeting:
Places are awarded on a competitive basis and successful applicants from LMICs will receive an award to cover the cost of their travel, accommodation and single-entry visa.
All interested applicants should review the information below and apply no later than 15 May 2023; case study presenters will submit proposals with their applications. All applications will be reviewed by the GFBR Planning Committee and selection will be made on the selection criteria (see below). Applicants are not limited to academic researchers; staff from government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector organizations are also encouraged to apply if their applications are focused on the topic. If a case study is multi-author, and co-authors would like to attend, they must apply separately as participants and state the name of their co-author and title of the case study in their application.
During GFBR, case study presenters from around the world will share their presentations and discuss cross-cutting issues, and then participants at the meeting will discuss the challenges and questions raised in both plenary and small group discussion.
About the topic
Please read the background paper for full details on the meeting topic and scope.
Topic summary
Health research is a vital component of efforts to improve health worldwide. But the available resources and existing research infrastructure are unable to answer all important research questions in a timely manner. Since which research is conducted affects which populations ultimately benefit from the knowledge generated by the research, the question of how to allocate limited health research resources is an ethical question, not just a technical one.
At present, many governmental and non-profit funders still treat the allocation of much of their research funding as a primarily technical question. For example, untargeted grant funding is largely allocated on the basis of the quality of the science, not on the basis of disease burden or whether it addresses the outcomes patients care about. Meanwhile, existing market incentives mean that for-profit funders mostly aim to develop drugs and devices for wealthier patient populations. When funders do explicitly set priorities for which health problems or types of research they will fund, the methods used for setting those priorities are often opaque. Nor are funders the only parties who affect what research gets carried out. Individual researchers, university officials, advocacy organizations, policy-makers, and many others make decisions about research priorities, even when they do not label themselves as engaged in “priority setting.” The lack of coordination among all these actors makes it likely that resources are globally misallocated and exacerbates the problem of wasteful research. Overall, it is unlikely that research priorities are currently being set in an ethically optimal way.
The importance of research priority setting became especially salient during the COVID-19 pandemic, but, as a global issue, it pre-dates and post-dates the pandemic. The perpetual scarcity of resources for research requires ongoing, difficult decisions about what should be prioritized, who should benefit from research outputs, and who gets to decide these matters. By promoting a global discussion on the ethics of research priority setting, the Global Forum on Bioethics in Research (GFBR) aims to move the debate beyond identifying injustices and move towards solutions that are ethically informed, sensitive to context and pay attention to the real-life constraints the different actors involved in research face.
Please note that the actual themes considered at the meeting will be defined by the case studies that are submitted. In this way, GFBR aims to be responsive to applicants and the issues that they consider most important.
Call for participants
Who can attend the GFBR meeting?
The majority of participants are selected through a competitive process[1]. Up to 60 participants will be selected from those eligible who apply by the deadline. We are seeking broad geographical representation, a mix of disciplinary expertise including health researchers, clinicians, healthcare workers, bioethicists, policy-makers, health system functionaries, and lawyers, and a combination of people who are early in their careers and leaders in their fields.
Accurate journalistic reporting is essential to ensure that the public are engaged and well informed about research. For that reason, GFBR will support the participation of up to three journalists from LMICs. The meeting will provide a unique opportunity for talented journalists to network with international experts and forge stronger connections between health researchers, ethicists, policy-makers and journalists. Funding support will be provided to LMIC based journalists only.
To apply to attend as a participant or journalist, please provide the following information, in Microsoft Word or pdf document, in English using font Arial, size 10.5. Please do not share sensitive personal health information.
- Complete participant application form
- Short CV (2 pages maximum)
Journalists: Please provide details on the application form about:
- Your journalistic experience
- The ways in which you would disseminate the meeting outcomes in your local and regional context, including which media outlets you propose to use and the format of reporting.
Deadline
All applications should be sent to gfbr@who.int by 17.00 CET on Monday 15 May 2023, in English. Please specify in the subject line whether you are applying as a participate, journalist or to present a case study. Please ensure you include all the requested information, as incomplete applications can not be considered (see the Checklist below). Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.Awards: Decision making and eligibility for funding
Successful applicants from LMICs who require full funding will receive an award to cover:
- return travel to the meeting (economy airfare and standard ground transportation costs);
- accommodation (2 or 3 nights maximum, including meals);
- a single entry visa (if required).
Participants will be expected to meet all other costs.
The GFBR Planning Committee will select successful candidates (both self-funded and those applying for funded places). The selection committee will consider the following factors when considering the applications:
- Country of origin. We would like to ensure a representative distribution of participants from different regions;
- Background/current area of expertise. Applications will be selected for a diverse representation of many different disciplines, relating to the theme of the meeting;
- Experience or demonstrated interest in the ethical issues related to health research priority setting;
- Reasons for attending the meeting. Participants who will be able to actively contribute to the meeting and who expect to achieve impact from the meeting;
- Case study applications only: Relevance of the case to the meeting theme and the LMICs context;
- Journalists only: Demonstrated journalistic training and experience and concrete proposals for how the meeting findings will be disseminated, including which media outlets and the format of reporting.
If your case study is not selected your name will automatically go forward to be considered in the applications to attend as a participant. Applicants are encouraged to submit a case study.
Notification
All applicants will be informed of the Planning Committee’s decision by the 20 July 2023. The decision of the committee will be final.
Privacy
The application form describes the purposes for which WHO will collect and process the personal data you provide in your application and describes your rights as a data subject. WHO’s personal data protection framework includes the WHO Privacy Policy and the UN Personal Data Protection and Privacy Principles, which are available at the following link: https://archives.un.org/sites/archives.un.org/files/_un-principles-on-personal-data-protection-privacy-hlcm-2018.pdf
Checklist
| Participants and journalists | Complete participant application form |
| Short CV (2 pages maximum) |