ETHICS, REGULATORY KNOWLEDGE,
& SUPPORT
ABOUT ETHICS, REGULATORY KNOWLEDGE, & SUPPORT
The Ethics, Regulatory Knowledge, and Support (ERKS) program provides tools and guidance to facilitate ethical compliant research, develops best practices that break down institutional barriers, reduce investigator burden, facilitate collaborations and promote clinical and translational research. Using the resources of multiple programs centrally supported by the CCTST, the core provides institutional support and efficient and effective avenues for clinical researchers that facilitate ethical research and regulatory compliance.
The ERKS program brings together thought leaders from around the world to educate our community on pressing bioethical issues of the day. Engagement and outreach is conducted through a biennial conference on biomedical ethics, our Hutton Lecture in Biomedical Ethics which is conducted each year in conjunction with UC’s Research and Innovation Week, and a Grand Rounds lecture each year focusing on a contemporary topic in clinical and research ethics. Special care is taken to draw upon topics that are not only translational in their focus but cross-cutting with respect to scientific disciplines. Pilot funds are also routinely awarded to stimulate new lines of research related to biomedical ethics.
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Working through the Greater Cincinnati Health Council, the CCTST created the Consortium of Greater Cincinnati IRBs (CGCI) which is open to all IRBs in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. CGCI works to identify and promote best practices, develop commonly accepted forms, and increase reliance between member IRBs. The consortium is not a community-wide IRB but serves to promote communications among IRBs and to facilitate review of regional multi-site studies.
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The CCTST has been at the vanguard of clinical and translational research, having taken the lead in eliminating redundancy while ensuring the protection of human research participants. We serve as the single/central IRB for many studies and participate in SMART IRB. Redundant review at each institution impedes multi-site clinical trials that are essential to developing new treatments and therapies to improve human health.
SERVICES & CONSULTATIONS
Use Research Central to request a consultation with an Ethics, Regulatory Knowledge, and Support team member.
RESOURCES
ETHICS, REGULATORY KNOWLEDGE, & SUPPORT TEAM
Richard Ittenbach, PhD
Co-Director, Ethics, Regulatory Knowledge, & Support
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