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I H S Research News and Events

The CANADIAN INSTITUTES OF HEALTH RESEARCH (CIHR) has released Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People

Below are excerpts from the website. A sample research agreement from the Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment is posted at http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/29134.html#7

These Guidelines have been prepared by the Ethics Office of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), in conjunction with its Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health, to assist researchers and institutions in carrying out ethical and culturally competent research involving Aboriginal people. The intent is to promote health through research that is in keeping with Aboriginal values and traditions. The Guidelines will assist in developing research partnerships that will facilitate and encourage mutually beneficial and culturally competent research. The Guidelines will also promote ethics review that enables and facilitates rather than suppresses or obstructs research.

These Guidelines are applicable to researchers carrying out research to which CIHR has made a financial contribution. The reader should note that these Guidelines are not regulations nor are they meant to be of general application. Rather, they are guidelines that should be followed by anyone who carries out research involving Aboriginal people in Canada if the research is funded by CIHR. The obligation on the researcher to abide by the Guidelines is contractual, i.e. it is voluntarily assumed by the researcher in return for the funding provided by CIHR.

As these guidelines primarily address the special considerations that arise when carrying out research involving Aboriginal people, researchers must also refer to, and comply with, other Tri-Council and CIHR policies, as well as any applicable legislation and, for those to whom it applies, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Other agencies of government may impose additional regulatory or other requirements.

Summary of Articles

Article 1 A researcher should understand and respect Aboriginal world views, including responsibilities to the people and culture that flow from being granted access to traditional or sacred knowledge. These should be incorporated into research agreements, to the extent possible.

Article 2 A community's jurisdiction over the conduct of research should be understood and respected. This article should be read in the context of the discussion in Section 1.5, which addresses the application of this document.

Article 3 Communities should be given the option of a participatory-research approach.

Article 4 A researcher who proposes to carry out research that touches on traditional or sacred knowledge of an Aboriginal community, or on community members as Aboriginal people, should consult the community leaders to obtain their consent before approaching community members individually. Once community consent has been obtained, the researcher will still need the free, prior and informed consent of the individual participants.

Article 5 Concerns of individual participants and their community regarding anonymity, privacy and confidentiality should be respected, and should be addressed in a research agreement.

Article 6 The research agreement should, with the guidance of community knowledge holders, address the use of the community's cultural knowledge and sacred knowledge.

Article 7 Aboriginal people and their communities retain their inherent rights to any cultural knowledge, sacred knowledge, and cultural practices and traditions, which are shared with the researcher. The researcher should also support mechanisms for the protection of such knowledge, practices and traditions.

Article 8 Community and individual concerns over, and claims to, intellectual property should be explicitly acknowledged and addressed in the negotiation with the community prior to starting the research project. Expectations regarding intellectual property rights of all parties involved in the research should be stated in the research agreement.

Article 9 Research should be of benefit to the community as well as to the researcher.

Article 10 A researcher should support education and training of Aboriginal people in the community, including training in research methods and ethics.

Article 11.1 A researcher has an obligation to learn about, and apply, Aboriginal cultural protocols relevant to the Aboriginal community involved in the research.

Article 11.2 A researcher should, to the extent reasonably possible, translate all publications, reports and other relevant documents into the language of the community.

Article 11.3 A researcher should ensure that there is ongoing, accessible and understandable communication with the community.

Article 12.1 A researcher should recognize and respect the rights and proprietary interests of individuals and the community in data and biological samples generated or taken in the course of the research.

Article 12.2 Transfer of data and biological samples from one of the original parties to a research agreement, to a third party, requires consent of the other original party(ies).

Article 12.3 Secondary use of data or biological samples requires specific consent from the individual donor and, where appropriate, the community.
However, if the research data or biological samples cannot be traced back to the individual donor, then consent for secondary use need not be obtained from the individual. Similarly, if research data or biological samples cannot be traced back to the community, then its consent for secondary use is not required.

Article 12.4 Where the data or biological samples are known to have originated with Aboriginal people, the researcher should consult with the appropriate Aboriginal organizations before initiating secondary use.

Article 12.5 Secondary use requires REB review.

Article 13 Biological samples should be considered "on loan" to the researcher unless otherwise specified in the research agreement.

Article 14 An Aboriginal community should have an opportunity to participate in the interpretation of data and the review of conclusions drawn from the research to ensure accuracy and cultural sensitivity of interpretation.

Article 15 An Aboriginal community should, at its discretion, be able to decide how its contributions to the research project should be acknowledged. Community members are entitled to due credit and to participate in the dissemination of results. Publications should recognize the contribution of the community and its members as appropriate, and in conformity with confidentiality agreements.

The AAIP website has just added information about student scholarship opportunities during the 36th Annual Meeting & National Health Conference, July 26 - 31, 2007. To view the new postings click the following link: http://www.aaip.org/about/student_information.htm

International Network of Indigenous Health Knowledge and Development (INIHKD)

Conference: 14-18th October 2007 Rotorua, Aotearoa, New Zealand

We are extending an invitation for abstracts for the International Indigenous Health Knowledge and Development (INIHKD) conference in New Zealand this October. The abstract deadline has been extended to May 31st, New Zealand time – so 10pm on the 30th for the US: Here’s the link for submissions:

http://www.conference.co.nz/index.cfm/INIHKD2007/Call_for_Abstracts

There is information on that site about the types of submissions they are seeking. Successful abstracts:

• are asset, not deficit based
• very indigenous-centered
• identify your tribal affiliation
• explain any community participatory methods that were used

Also keep in mind the themes –

• INIHKD themes - workforce development, research, health services
• Conference themes – knowledge, family/kin networks, new generations

Scholarships anticipated . . . Applications available at www.IWRI.org after August 2007

NIH and the NARCH program are in the process of converting to SF424 (Research and Related [R&R]) forms and electronic submission through Grants.gov. Information on this plan and on registering for electronic submission is available at http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt.

Tribes, Health Boards and other organizations planning to apply for any DHHS grants should go to http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp OR http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing_grantsgov_reg.htm to register their organization. Grants.gov Registration requires several pieces of information which depend on listing the organization with other entities. Gathering all the information and completing Grants.gov registration can take several weeks, so organizations considering grant applications to NIH or IHS in FY07 are advised to begin the Grants.gov registration process as soon as possible. Grants.gov registration must be completed prior to registration in the NIH system.

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For further information please feel free to contact:
Indian Health Service
Office of Public Health Support
Division of Planning, Evaluation, and Research

Dr. Alan Trachtenberg (301) 443-0578
801 Thompson Avenue, TMP, Suite 450
Rockville, Maryland 20852
Fax: (301) 443-0114

This file last modified: Wednesday September 5, 2007  9:14 AM