September 24, 2020
9:30 am - 11:00 am EDT
Webinar, United States
On September 24, IPA presented at a webinar hosted by the Population Council convening global experts for a discussion about the considerations for determining where, when, and how COVID-19 risks may reach a threshold in which research activities may safely resume.

Research studies, projects, and institutions are beginning to contemplate the return to in-person data collection as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. With limited experiences and lack of clear guidance from international bodies to-date, ethical institutions are establishing their own policies, decision-making processes, and practices regarding the resumption of data collection for research purposes during COVID-19. While organizations have successfully innovated and trialed remote data collection efforts, the rigor of in-person data collection cannot be replaced in all cases.

Participating speakers in this virtual discussion included:
  • Thoai Ngo, Program Director; Paul Hewett, Senior Associate; Michelle Hindin, Program Director; and Leanne Dougherty, Senior Implementation Science Advisor from the Population Council
  • Abdhalah Ziraba, Research Scientist from the African Population and Health Research Center
  • Steven Glazerman, Chief Research & Methodology Officer; and Claudia Casarotto, Regional Director for West Africa from Innovations for Poverty Action
  • Ruth Levine, CEO of IDinsight
  • Megan Kasimatis Singleton, Associate Dean for Human Research Protection & Director of the Human Research Protection Program from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
  • Bilal Avan, Associate Professor; and Constance Mackworth-Young, Research Fellow, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
  • Christina Pallitto, Scientist, FGM Lead, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health Research, from World Health Organization Human Reproduction Programme