To: The Biobanking Research Community

Many biobanks have faced ethical, social, and regulatory (ELSI) challenges during COVID-19 that may require new practices and policies to maintain their work and meet the needs of researchers, donors, and other biobank stakeholders. To assess these challenges, you are being asked to participate in a survey focusing on any ELSI challenges you have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. A better understanding of the experiences and needs of biobanks will help inform the development of best practices, policies, and approaches for facilitating biobank operations and address the needs of existing biobanks and new COVID-19 related research resources.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University, University of Louisville, and the University of North Carolina are conducting this study in partnership with the International Society of Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) Ethics and COVID19 Taskforce. Taking part in this survey is voluntary and for most participants, the survey should only take 10-15 minutes. All of your answers will be kept strictly confidential and any report of this research that is made available to the public will not include individual information by which you could be identified.

If you are willing to participate in this short survey, please use the link provided below:
redcap.case.edu/surveys/?s=XAT89TXLT7

Responses are requested by Wednesday, December 23.

If you have any questions or concerns about our study, please contact our research coordinator

Roselle Ponsaran at rsp10@case.edu or

Aaron Goldenberg at ajg10@case.edu.

Additionally, if you have other colleagues who may be interested in these issues please forward this email to them.

Thank you for your consideration.