Acknowledgements
This e-learning course was developed by:
Mrs. Meagan Jacobs Alfred (University of Stellenbosch)
Prof Leslie London (University of Cape Town)
Dr Gonasagrie Nair (University of Stellenbosch)
Mr Abraham Opare (University of Cape Town)
Dr Amina Saban (University of Cape Town)
Prof Keymanthri Moodley (University of Stellenbosch)
This resource was made possible through funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The contents of the resource, however, do not necessarily reflect the views of the IDRC.
We thank Mr David Machaku, Mr Jemee Tegli and Professor Godfrey Tangwa for providing examples used as case materials in this course. Professor Sharon Kling is thanked for assisting in the editing of the final drafts of this course.
ACRONYMS
COI – Conflict of interest
DFID – Department for International Development
FSFW – Foundation for a Smoke-Free World
IDRC – International Development Research Centre
IRB – Institutional Review Board
LMIC – Low- and Middle-Income Country
NFCOI – Non-financial Conflict of interest
NRF – National Research Foundation
POE – Panel of experts
REC – Research Ethics Committee
SGC – Science Granting Council SGCI – Science Granting Councils Initiative
SSA – Sub Saharan Africa
UN – United Nations
WHO – World Health Organisation
Purpose of the course:
The aim of this e-learning course is to provide a set of guidelines for staff in Science Granting Councils (SGCs) and Research Ethics Committees (RECs), particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which they can use to identify, address, and manage conflicts of interest in health research when these occur at their institutions.
It aims to provide an understanding of how to prevent and/or manage conflicts of interest in health research to strengthen the capacities of these institutions to protect the integrity of health research. We hope that through better identification and management of conflicts of interest, this course will help to ensure that researcher independence is not subjugated to third party interests antithetical to the spirit and purpose of science.
Content Sources
The content of this course is based on different sources:
- Findings from the relevant literature
- Expert opinion
- Findings from an online survey and in-depth interviews (IDIs) conducted with senior representatives of sub-Saharan African Research Ethics Committees (RECs) and Science Granting Councils (SGCs) in 2021-2022
- Other courses toolkits and guidelines on the topic or on similar/related topics.
This course will contribute to:
Knowledge sharing
To raise awareness among institutions and their staff regarding conflicts of interest
Capacity Building
To increase the capacity of institutions to recognise and identify conflicts of interest
