BECS FAQ
Who Can Access the Service?
The Benchside Consultation Ethics Consultation Service is available to any member of the Stanford University community. Requests may come from:
- Research investigators (the PI or anyone on the research team)
- Research study participants
- Research coordinators
- Stanford faculty, staff, scholars, students and medical professionals
- Institutional Review Boards
- Regulatory committees and other institutional bodies
As the Benchside Consultation Program passes through its pilot phase, it will consider expanding its service to institutions and professional research companies outside the university.
Scope and Limitations of the Benchside Ethics Consultation Service
The scope of topics that will be considered for consultation include:
- Issues relating to genetics research as a whole (e.g., whether or how topic A should be pursued)
- Specific questions about individual genetics research projects (e.g., having to do with study design, data analysis, publication and dissemination of findings, impact of research, future applications, etc.)
- Policy development (e.g., guidelines for other lab projects, media communication, public briefs, and clarification of general perception and understanding of findings)
Requests that fall under the direct regulation and/or recommendation of another institutional body (such as the FDA, IRB, University Conflict of Interest Committee or OMBUDS offices) will be referred to the appropriate group for further advising. The Benchside Ethics Consultation Service is not meant to supercede the IRB or adjudicate cases of scientific misconduct, for example. For particularly complex or involved requests, the Benchside Consultation Team may solicit the advice and guidance of an outside group, such as the Rapid Ethics Action Team (REACT) at Case Western University. Not all cases can or will be dealt with collaboratively; it will depend on the scope and breadth of a particular request and what is reasonably agreed upon by the BECS team and the researchers calling the consultation.
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