The Future of Research Ethics: Threats & Opportunities.

The history of research ethics shows that ensuring the ethical and responsible conduct of research requires investment of time, personnel, and resources. Major shifts under way now raise questions about the future of research ethics — how to ensure needed safeguards while taking advantage of potential opportunities. Speakers will consider the impact of significant changes in federal ethics personnel and research funding, including debate about overhead (“indirect cost”) recovery on grants, which at many institutions supports crucial ethics oversight. This conference will consider how to preserve key safeguards while making improvements.

Join national experts from multiple disciplines and perspectives to consider a wide range of questions: what is the current state of research ethics, how can we strengthen Institutional Review Boards and research oversight, what steps will best support research integrity and trustworthy science, what strategies will advance ethics in community-engaged research, and how should research ethics evolve to manage emerging technologies including artificial intelligence.

The University of Minnesota’s 11th Annual Research Ethics Day Conference will consider how to move forward in a changing landscape and how to adapt while maintaining the crucial elements of research ethics. As a public, research university, we aim to explore these vital issues with our faculty, staff, students, and community, as well as a national audience.

This event is free and open to the public. It’s sponsored by the University of Minnesota’s Research & Innovation Office (RIO); Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment & the Life Sciences; Masonic Cancer Center; and Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

This event is part of Research Ethics Week (March 2-6, 2026), during which the University of Minnesota focuses on professional development and best practices to ensure ethics and integrity in research.