Online International Courses in Research Ethics

This list identifies web-based, international instructional tools in the ethics of human subjects research, the responsible conduct of research (RCR), good clinical practice (GCP) and other topics. It does not include online masters’ degree programs, webinars or time/date-specific training. Information includes program title, geographic or political scope, languages, a brief description, the url and whether registration or payment are required.

Corrections, suggestions and additions are welcome. Please email us at ethics@miami.edu.

• Advanced Certificate Program in Research Ethics for Central and Eastern Europe
  (Regional, Central and Eastern Europe)
  Lithuanian, Romanian-Moldovan. This collaboration by Union Graduate College (USA) and Vilnius University (Lithuania) offers graduate courses in International Bioethics and International Research Ethics.
  (Registration and fee required)

• Boston University Online
  (National, U.S.)
  English. Offers basic training on study design, GCP and regulations.
  (Registration and fee required)

• Canadian Council on Animal Care 
  (National, Canada)
  French. Offers basic training for laboratory animal research.
  (Registration required)

• Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science
  (National, Canada; International). This course addresses ethics and professionalism for medical laboratory professionals.
  (Registration and fee required.)

• Good Decision Making in Real Time: Practical Public Health Ethics for Local Health Officials
  (National, U.S.; International)
  English. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Association of County and City Health Officials have developed training to “provide public health professionals with tools and practical examples to address ethical challenges that commonly arise in the practice of public health.”

• Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program
  (National, U.S.; International)
  Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), English, French (France and Francophone
  Africa), Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai (not all content
  available in all languages). CITI Program provides online courses in a variety of topics including Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Human Subjects Research (HSR), Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), Conflicts of Interest (COI), and Animal Care and Use (ACU).
  (Registration required; institutional or individual subscription required)

• Elevate Online Academy
  (International)
  English. Offers online educational programs on research ethics, animal welfare and others. Research ethics course developed by Department of Medical Humanities of the Julius Center of the University Medical Center, Utrecht.
  (Registration and fee required)

• Epigeum UK
  (National, U.K.; International)
  English. Offers online educational programs on research ethics and GCP.
  (Registration and fee required)

• FHI 360
  (National, U.S.; International)
  English, French, Portuguese, Spanish. Research ethics training for investigators and community representatives.

• Fundación Bioética
  (National, Spain; International)
  Spanish. Course provides and introduction to research ethics committees.
  (Registration and fee required)

• Global Ethics Education Initiative (GEEI)
  (Regional, Middle East; International)
  English. Courses include good clinical practice, research ethics and public health ethics.
  (Registration and fee required)

• Global Health Training Centre
  (International)
  English. Course on ethics in epidemics, emergencies and disasters: Research, surveillance and patient care
  (Registration required)

• Human Research Protection Training
  (National, U.S.; International)
  English. Targets "IRBs, investigators and key personnel, and anyone interested in the Common Rule"
  (Free. Certificate available.)
  

• Research Ethics Online Training
  (International)
  Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish (not all content
  available in all languages). Courses include good clinical practice, study design, consent and reporting adverse events.
  Free access (registration required)
  

• Medicine Online: Thieme
  (National, Germany; International)
  German. Offers case studies on clinical and research ethics.

• Middle East Research Ethics Training Initiative (MERETI)
  (Middle East). A variety of resources, including an online certificate program, hosted by the University of Maryland.
  (Registration and fee required)

• Office of Research Integrity
  (National, U.S.)
  English. A collection of research ethics courses and related materials funded by ORI.

• PHRP / Protecting Human Research Participants
  (National, U.S)
  English. Course  provides "affordable and accessible training to ensure ethical and safe practices whenever research is being conducted with human participants."
  (Registration and fee required)
  

• Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R)
  (National, U.S.; International)
  English. The Ethical Oversight of Human Subjects Research Course addresses the roles of
  research ethics committee or institutional review board members
  (Registration and fee required)
  
  
• Research in Global Health Emergencies
  (International)
  English, French, Portuguese, Spanish. This course from the Nuffield Council "explores some of the core ethical issues that arise in the conduct of research in global health emergencies."
  (Requires registration)

• Santé et Services sociaux Québec
  (National, Canada, Québec)
  English, French. This course was “developed specifically for research ethics board (REB) members and
  support staff who work in the institutions of the Québec health and social services
  network.
  (Requires registration)

• Society of Clinical Research Associates
  (National, U.S.)
  English. Courses address FDA visits, IND/IDE processes and current Good Manufacturing
  Practice.
  (Members only; registration and fee required)

• Training and Resources in Research Ethics Evaluation (TRREE)
  (Regional, Africa; International)
  English, French, German, Dutch, Portuguese. TRREE focuses on internationally recognized ethical principles and integrates local
  issues and perspectives from low- and middle-income countries.
  (Registration required)

• UNESCO
  (Regional, Latin America, Caribbean; International)
  Spanish. Red Bioética offers courses on basics for Latin American and Caribbean researchers
  and research ethics committees members.
  (Registration and fee required)

• Unite for Sight
  (International)
  English. NGO promotes vision care and research in low-resource countries and regions.

• Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, CONBIOETICA
  (Querétaro, Mexico)
  Spanish. Training in Research Ethics. Capacitación en Ética de Investigación UAQ - CONBIOÉTICA.
  (Registration required)

• Universidad de Navarra
  (National, Spain)
  Spanish. Course’s goal is “Proporcionar una panorámica general de la ética de la investigación.

• Universidad iSalud
  (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
  Spanish. Diplomatura en Bioética con Orientación en Investigación
  Capacitación Virtual Diplomatura en Bioética con Orientación Clínica
  (Registration and fee required)

• University of London, Infonetica Ltd.
  (International)
  Spanish. A GCP course.

• University of Oxford
  (National, U.K.)
  English. GCP course available only to employees at OU or institutions participating in OU sponsored
  research.
  (Registration required)

• University Cayetano Heredia
  (Lima, Peru)
  Spanish. Virtual course on research ethics.
  (Registration and fee required)

Other Resources

• U.S. National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center “Bioethics Resources for Teachers and Students”
  (International)
  English. A referatory of various online resources, including research ethics courses.

• Estudios de casos sobre ética de la investigación internacional en salud / Casebook on Ethical Issues in International Health Research
  (International)
  Spanish, English. PAHO’s Regional Program on Bioethics has published Spanish and English version of a case-based research ethics training tool. Both are available online: English | Spanish.

• Duke University Global Health Institute
  (International)
  English. Training resource for conducting scientific literature searches on HINARI, a program to
  provide access to the biomedical literature in low-income countries.

• The Global Health Bioethics Network
  (Africa, Asia)
  English. The network, based in the Ethox Centre at the University of Oxford, is a “programme to carry out ethics research and build ethics capacity across the Wellcome Trust’s Major Overseas Programmes (MOPs) in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Thailand-Laos, and Viet Nam.”
   

Updated September 2022