PROJECT NARRATIVE Researchers are now able to use the internet to recruit and enroll widely dispersed individuals, which is valuable for a wide range of research, especially research involving rare genetic disorders. With IRB approval, online recruitment and enrollment of individuals from the same country as the researchers is permissible, including obtaining biological specimens and health information, but it is unknown whether recruitment and enrollment of individuals from foreign countries would violate the laws of those countries.

Project Narrative This project will identify and reduce ethical and practical barriers to sharing qualitative research data. It will develop new resources to increase data sharing in an ethical manner, which will improve the quality of research data, facilitate new research in a cost-effective manner, and foster the training of new researchers.

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Researchers engaged in conducting genetic and genomic science are significant players in advancing biomedical science and health care. Through their work, they are a vital part of the ethical, legal, and social outcomes of science, but there is a gp in knowledge concerning how genomic scientists navigate the complex ethical, legal, and social issues related to their research.

PROJECT NARRATIVE This project will identify ways to demonstrate respect to prospective research participants that incorporate the perspectives of diverse patient populations who have been historically underrepresented in research. Demonstrating respect in a way that is meaningful to patients from diverse backgrounds has the potential to contribute positively to trusting, collaborative investigator-participant partnerships and to increase recruitment and retention in both the short term and the long term.

Prenatal screening and testing technologies using genetic methods are rapidly expanding, offering increasing amounts of genetic information about the fetus. However, research shows that women from underserved populations are less likely to receive or accept prenatal genetic services, leading to discordant birth outcomes. We propose to explore the barriers to access and acceptance of prenatal genetic care among women from underserved populations.

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project will explore the ethical, social, and cultural issues of the American Indians in regards to genetic research. Engaging tribal leaders and relevant stakeholders such as scientists, clinicians, and policy makers on issues around genetic research will create a more complete understanding of these challenges and enable them to create policies that may permit greater participation by American Indians and their tribes.