About Project TRES

Project TRES (Training in Research Ethics and Standards) , funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is a culturally tailored, content-appropriate, Spanish-translated research ethics curriculum that targets Community Health Workers (CHWs/ Promotores) who assist with community-based research in Hispanic/Latino communities. CHWs/Promotores are respected members of the target community and are often involved in conducting complex research protocols.

The Curriculum

Materials are available in English and Spanish and in two formats - a bound self-study guide and a web based tutorial. The self-study guide and/or the web tutorial format can be used as stand alone self-study training or in conjunction with group training session. Instructions within the guide direct the CHW/Promotores in how to use the materials as a self-study. Instruction is also provided to investigators and project managers who plan to incorporate the TRES curriculum into a group training planned for a specific research project.

Project Update

Project TRES team members used feedback from all three focus groups to refine the curriculum. In the fall of 2005, a sample of novice CHWs/Promotores working in community projects pilot-tested the materials and provided feedback on format, terminology and cultural relevance. Concurrent with the pilot testing, experts identified from a national research ethics list serve volunteered to conduct a comprehensive review the materials for content accuracy in either the English and Spanish versions. Revisions were then made using outcomes from the pilot testing and comments from national reviewers. The curriculum, Training in Research Ethics and Standards: a Self-study Guide for Promotores is now available as both a self-study guide and as a web based tutorial.