First meeting of the Research Volunteers Committee

The first meeting of the Institut Pasteur's new Research Volunteers Committee (COVOL) took place on December 6, 2021.

The COVOL is an initiative of the ICAReB (Clinical Investigation and Access to BioResources) platform and the Ethics Unit. It reflects the determination of the senior management team to foster the Institut Pasteur's links with civil society by promoting the emergence of initiatives that bring the Institut Pasteur closer to citizens (priority no. 2 in the 2019-2023 Strategic Plan).

The creation and launch of this committee in December 2021 follows a consultation carried out among various stakeholders on campus and the volunteers who attended the "Scientists, physicians and research participants" conference on June 30, 2021. At the conference, the attendees – both research volunteers and Institut Pasteur staff – together discussed the question: What do you think an ideal committee should look like?

The meeting on December 6 followed on from the launch of the committee. It was an opportunity for the 11 COVOL members to get to know each other and to decide together on the topics they want to cover during the coming year. The first two themes that the committee will explore in 2022 are the way in which the general results of research projects are presented to participants and how to improve links between participants and the Institut Pasteur. As well as reflecting on these topics, the COVOL may be approached by individuals or bodies at the Institut Pasteur, or it may itself decide to examine a specific question.

During the session, a COVOL representative was also selected as a representative to join the Institut Pasteur's Ethics Committee.

The meeting was an opportunity for the various members to explain what made them want to join the committee and what guides them. They were keen to share these thoughts with the Institut Pasteur's staff:

 

Working or having worked in a wide variety of fields including art, astrophysics, the social and solidarity economy, human resources, health, law, IT, town planning, finance and international solidarity, we all share a desire to advance knowledge.

Taking part in research by giving our time and donating biological samples is something that we see as a civic gesture, at a time when science is coming under threat because of the rise in misinformation. It is a way for us to contribute to progress in science and medicine; a way to say thank you, since we have all benefited from medical treatment at times.

For us, the Institut Pasteur represents a reference in the world of research, a guarantee of quality; we feel close to its scientists even though we don't know them.

We joined the Institut Pasteur's new Research Volunteers Committee because we want to become valuable partners for scientists so that we can support them in the development of knowledge.

COVOL members

 

Meetings will be held four times a year for two years and the results of the discussions will be published at the end of each period. The membership of the COVOL will change at the end of each term, and members from all walks of life will be encouraged.

Contact: covol@pasteur.fr