Scientific commitments and values

Supporting the involvement of patient associations

The historical mode of operation of ANRS MIE is based on close collaboration between researchers and patient associations. For the agency, no research can take place without the involvement of affected individuals, who must be engaged from the design stage through to the conduct and analysis of the research. ANRS MIE favours a collaborative approach, in which patient associations are involved at every stage of the research and in all governance bodies of the agency. This practice represents a key factor in advancing research in the field of emerging infectious diseases. In 2024, more than 20 patient associations are collaborating with researchers within the agency’s scientic facilitation groups.

Supporting the next generation of scientists

In 2024, the ANRS MIE launched the Start programme to support junior researchers (particularly Masters students, PhD students and post-doctoral fellows) working on the agency’s research topics (HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, STIs, emerging infectious diseases).

This support has been defined as a strategic priority (Objective 7 of the ANRS MIE 2023-2027 Strategic Framework and is based on three areas of support:

• support for training: ensuring high-quality training for junior scientists;
• support for research: encouraging the launch of careers in research and encouraging the development of innovative research work;
• support for structuring the scientific community: facilitating, connecting and disseminating knowledge.

Promoting a quality and ethical approach to research

• Discover the agency’s quality policy

The agency inherits a quality approach that structures the measures taken to ensure the protection of individuals involved in the research it supports and the integrity of research results. It continues to develop this approach while its activities have expanded to include emerging infectious diseases since 1 January 2021.

• Discover the agency’s ethics charter

The research ethics charter for developing countries is the result of multiple consultations, exchanges at ANRS sites with various research partners from the Global North and South, and collaboration with external experts. The charter establishes both a conception of North–South partnership ethics and a set of guidelines aimed at protecting individuals participating in HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis research supported by ANRS MIE. First drafted in 2002 and revised in 2008 and 2017, a new version is currently in preparation.

Committing to open science

In line with Inserm’s policy, ANRS emerging infectious diseases develops and implements an open science strategy that complies with the principles and recommendations set out in national open science plans and the framework for data, algorithms, and source code policies. ANRS MIE contributes to the development of open science together with its partners in the network of French funding agencies (ANR, Anses, INCa, Ademe, and the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale). Open science is a scientific commitments of ANRS MIE. The agency raises awareness among granted researchers and engages them on the issues and best practices to:

• Promote open access to scientific publications;
• Encourage research data sharing in line with the “as open as possible, as closed as necessary” principle;
• Share practices and methods for evaluating the scientific quality of projects, in accordance with the recommendations of the San Francisco Declaration;
• Inform and raise awareness among beneficiaries by sharing good practices;
• Make data related to projects funded by each institution available in line with the Open Government Partnership and the French Digital Republic Act;
• Publish an annual report on the actions and measures implemented to promote open science.

Access to samples and biological data: In its promotion role, the agency facilitates access to data and biological samples from clinical studies it implements.

Opening research data is a priority for the agency, in line with France’s commitments and the National Open Science Plan (PNSO) launched by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation.

The objective is to ensure that data produced by French public research are progressively structured according to the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), preserved, and, whenever possible, made open to foster innovation. While these measures are legitimate, they require significant changes in practice, and even a true paradigm shift. Accordingly, ANRS emerging infectious diseases has initiated a first transition phase to achieve this goal, gradually implementing tools and supporting researchers. In line with its mission to promote clinical research, the agency already facilitates access to data and biological collections from its research and participates in large-scale national initiatives such as France Cohorts.