Fordham University HIV and Drug Abuse Research Ethics Training Institute (RETI) Fellow Dr. Cynthia Pearson and Director Dr. Celia B. Fisher have been awarded a grant to adapt a culturally specific ethics training course for American Indian and Alaska Natives (AIAN) populations.

The grant, entitled “Increasing AIAN Research Engagement through a Culturally Adapted Ethics Training” (1R01HD082181-01), was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Pearson, a Research Associate Professor and the Associate Director of Research of the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute at the University of Washington, also conducted her RETI Mentored Research Project on the topic of human subjects research training from an AIAN cultural perspective.

“I, my fellow investigators, and expert panel members are delighted that our study was funded by NICHD — Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development,” Pearson said.

“The study will provide an important contribution to research, but more importantly, it will have a huge impact for tribal communities. We need to ensure tribal community researchers have all the tools necessary to conduct ethical research, and this includes a human subjects training that is relevant and that makes sense in the settings in which they work. I look forward to this project that will bolster health research capacity across Indian country,” she added.