The Union Ethics Advisory Group (EAG), which provides ethical guidance on The Union’s work at national and international levels, is seeking applications for new members willing to serve on this prestigious international committee.
The role of the (EAG) is to safeguard the dignity and rights of participants in research studies and to promote ethical standards in lung health services. The EAG reviews close to 100 Union research protocols each year, evaluating them in terms of the societal value of the study, the methods, informed consent and confidentiality, risks to participants, local partnerships and local ethics committee approval.
The EAG is an entirely independent committee made up of Union members whose oversight is essential to the credibility and impact of Union research in some 40 countries each year. This research, particularly the studies conducted through our Centre for Operational Research (COR), led to more than 100 papers published in peer-reviewed journals last year and is making a critical contribution to a wide variety of public health challenges.
The EAG is made up of six to eight members, who are selected to ensure professional and geographic diversity, as well as other factors such as representation of low- and middle-income countries and community groups. For example, current members are citizens of South Africa, India, Sudan, Australia, Ethiopia and the USA; and they are professionals in social science, research, clinical medicine and public health.
Members participate in the review of submitted protocols (about 30 per person each year) and attend an annual review meeting held in conjunction with the Union World Conference on Lung Health. While this is a volunteer position, a modest stipend is offered and the cost of attending the annual meeting is funded. This year’s meeting will be in Cape Town, South Africa during the first week of December, and it is expected that the new members to be selected will participate.
Interested persons should familiarise themselves with the detailed information about the EAG on The Union website, then submit a letter of intent and CV to Dr Rick O’Brien, EAG Chair, at eag@theunion.org. The deadline is 1 September 2015.