Ethics in biomedical research: One-year grant from NIH to develop interactive educational software

Arkitek Studios and the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR) have been awarded a $100,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Center for Research Resources, a component of the National Institutes of Health. This one-year grant, entitled ETHOS (Ethics Training Health Oriented Software), provides funding for development of interactive educational software that will underscore the critical role ethics plays in biomedical research.

“While so much emphasis is placed on research, scant attention is paid to teaching ethics in the science disciplines,” states Beth Anderson, co-founder/CEO of Arkitek Studios and co-PI on this grant. “Concepts of ethical conduct in biomedical research must be imprinted upon each new generation and serve as the underpinning on which all research is done. The Pacific Northwest is a major research center with world-class labs and researchers in close proximity to Arkitek and NWABR, so developing the materials for this grant here seems particularly auspicious.”

This project is also timely - ethical issues are central to research trials, yet many people understand neither the process nor the implications of these trials. Project aims include the development of pilot materials targeted for high school students and teachers, as well as development of a rigorous testing plan to determine efficacy.

Arkitek shares this grant with the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR). Jeanne Ting Chowning, Director of Education at NWABR, is named as co-PI. “Partnering with Arkitek allows us to leverage our popular existing bioethics teaching materials, and to create unique resources that make research ethics more accessible across a broad spectrum of society,” notes Chowning. “Support for biomedical research is dependent on public understanding of the research process and its ethical conduct.”