The CHANGER Project successfully conducted a two-day workshop at the University of Split, Croatia (23-24 June 2025), focusing on piloting five innovative ethics methodologies under Task 3.1 of WP3, led by TUW. The event saw strong participation from ethics experts, particularly from medicine and life sciences, who collaboratively discussed common challenges Research Ethics Committees (RECs) in Croatia face.

A key highlight was the introduction of and extensive exchange on the novel “Two-Step-Consent” methodology, which aims to strengthen donor’s rights in biobanking. Under this standard, any use of data beyond the initial agreed purpose is strictly tied to a mandatory ethics assessment by an independent third party. Methodologies like Consultative Ethics Review and Iterative Ethics Review also generated significant interest, underscoring the project’s goal to bring practical ethical governance to cutting-edge research.

This meeting has been conducted in the frame of the CHANGER Pilot Workshops. As part of WP3, CHANGER develops innovative approaches and tools designed to integrate ethics-by-design principles into research processes, while embedding respect for human rights at every stage. These tools aim to enhance the consistency, quality, and efficiency of current ethics review mechanisms, and, consequently, the quality of research. The proposed methodologies have been tested and refined through pilot workshops conducted across multiple Research Ethics Committees (RECs) spanning diverse regions of Europe, from North to South and East to West.