Ethics, Policy, & Regulation
Penn State CTSI aligns its ethics with the university's core values of Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, Excellence, and Community. These principles guide their work, including ethical research practices like obtaining informed consent, protecting participant privacy, and minimizing harm. The CTSI is committed to honesty, transparency, and acting accountably in all endeavors.
Request Consultation
Not sure what service you need? Complete our consultation request form with as much detail as you can, and our team will follow up to guide you and connect you with the right support.
Health Policy Impact
The CTSI offers health policy impact consultations to support policy-relevant research and promote its translation between researchers and regulators. These consultations are open-ended and can be tailored to specific questions. The following are examples of how previous investigators have used consultations:
Identifying policy objectives of relevant regulatory agencies
Supporting researchers in increasing the policy relevance of proposed projects
Discussing policy-relevant dissemination opportunities
Providing education and educational opportunities on legal and regulatory issues related to health policy
Reviewing grant applications to identify ways to enhance policy relevance
Regulatory
The CTSI helps to facilitate the process by which novel research ideas are transformed into scientifically and ethically sound research study protocols that are in compliance with regulatory requirements. We involve both investigators and regulators in a partnership where values of efficiency, appropriate attention to ethical research conduct, and regulatory compliance are continuously balanced. Consultations include:
Education and mentorship on the regulatory and ethical research
Considerations of the regulatory and ethical implications of a research project
Promotion of scholarship in ethical research
Obtaining informed consent
Addressing privacy issues in data-driven research
Development of research questions related to specific regulatory or ethical concerns to incorporate in study design
Research Ethics
The CTSI provides research ethics consultations to maximize the benefits and minimize potential harms of research to society. The institute involves both investigators and regulators, where values of efficiency, appropriate attention to ethical research conduct, and regulatory compliance are continuously balanced. Consultations can help researchers and others involved in the research process identify practical solutions to ethical, policy, and social challenges. The institute also provides education through seminars and facilitated discussions on a variety of research ethics topics, including the responsible conduct of research (research misconduct, informed consent, and authorship), ethical and social issues surrounding genomic research, biobanking, and privacy and confidentiality in an era of broad data sharing and data-driven research. Research ethics consultations are part of the institute's Research Methods core service area.