The Global Forum on Bioethics in Research (GFBR) is an informal partnership of organizations with a shared interest in the ethics of research conduct in low- and middle-income countries. The GFBR convenes meetings annually to facilitate debate on the ethical, social, legal, and public policy issues related to health research, with a specific focus on research involving countries from the north conducting research in the south.

The GFBR fellows program, funded by the Wellcome Trust, provides a unique opportunity for participants to work with a host institution to explore emergent issues from a GFBR meeting. Applicants must be based in a low- or middle-income country and must have attended the most recent meeting. McMaster University was the first GFBR host institution in Canada.

IEPI has hosted global scholars including:

• Ruby Ng’ong’ola (GFBR 2019-20 Fellow): “The governance framework of genome research in Malawi.”
• Titus Divala (GFBR 2016-17 Fellow): “Ethical implications of the presumption of exclusion of pregnant women in malaria clinical trials.”

In the coming months, IEPI will develop a new fellowship program with an ESC (ethical, social, cultural) framework that will host African fellows, in support of institutional strengthening goals. The anticipated launch date is the fall of 2022.

IEPI employs postdoctoral fellows through CUPE 3906 Unit 3. IEPI’s postdoctoral fellowships align with projects in our four pillars of research, to prepare fellows for a research career. To be eligible for a postdoctoral fellowship candidates must have been awarded a PhD within the five years immediately proceeding the initial appointment as a postdoctoral fellow.

Future opportunities for postdoctoral fellowships will be posted on the IEPI employment opportunities page.