FGV Research Ethics Committee Presents at SRAI 2024 in Chicago

The Research Ethics Committee Involving Human Subjects at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV CEPH) participated in the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI), held in Chicago, United States. Represented by FGV CEPH Academic Advisor Renan Medeiros de Oliveira and attorney Maria Ligia da Cunha Gomes from Décio Freire Advogados, the presentation took place during the session Data Protection and Intellectual Property in Research: A Comparison Between Brazil and the U.S., which explored the intellectual property (IP) frameworks of both countries, highlighting their similarities and differences.

Renan Oliveira and Maria Lígia Gomes shared the session with Glenn Ladwig, Associate General Counsel at Florida State University Research, and James Casey, Academic Community Leader and Senior Research and Data Protection Executive at the City University of New York. The session also aimed to identify and discuss strategies for addressing regulatory and data protection challenges, their implications for research ethics, and the integration of new legal guidelines into contracts with funders and research partners, with the goal of fostering collaboration between the two countries.

The presentation also covered key impacts of new data protection regulations on researchers and research administrators, using Brazil’s experience with the approval and implementation of the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) to contribute to the U.S. context, where a similar bill is under discussion.

The session further discussed the adaptations made by the Ethics Committee to improve the guidelines researchers must follow to ensure the protection of research participants and their data.

Regarding intellectual property legislation, Maria Lígia Gomes and Glenn Ladwig addressed the different types of protection under each legal system, their scope, and the disparities in the registration process.

According to Renan Oliveira, the exchange of experiences between countries can help illustrate new paths for data protection:

“Just as Brazilian legislation was inspired by the European General Data Protection Regulation, the United States can draw from our experience. The changes in Brazilian law and in research institutions reflect a significant shift in perspective regarding data protection, which has now become an autonomous fundamental right, alongside privacy, rather than merely a component of it.”

Maria Lígia Gomes emphasized that international dialogue on these topics is essential for understanding and improving how intellectual property is managed in today’s context:

“Protecting the intellectual property of products generated through research is essential. Negotiating these rights—especially with international partners and funders—requires a careful understanding of both international and domestic legal frameworks to reach agreements that meet everyone’s interests and comply with applicable regulations.”

Vivianne Ferreira, Coordinator of FGV CEPH, believes that the comparison between Brazilian and American experiences, as presented by the speakers, clearly highlighted the major challenges inherent in international collaborations.

“There are not only specific legal contexts but also local ethical standards—in Brazil’s case, imposed by the new research ethics law (Law 14.874/2024) and CNS resolutions—that must be considered. The presentations by Renan Oliveira and Maria Lígia Gomes clearly demonstrated how FGV is prepared to address these challenges in dialogue with international research institutions,” said the Coordinator.

To learn more about FGV CEPH’s work and research ethics guidelines, click here.