CHIRON is a series of ten “discussion exercises” designed to help research and oversight teams engage with the ethical complexities of biorepository research.

We designed these for small group discussion (2-5 people), but you can also use them on your own.

Each exercise includes…

1-2 light readings to provide context for the discussion.

Discussion Prompts to discuss a project you are working on (or an imaginary one).

A Reflection Worksheet to document takeaways and ground the discussion in your day-to-day work.

Who is CHIRON for?

CHIRON was built with three main audiences in mind:

Researchers

Researchers reusing existing data from biomedical repositories

Ethics Committees

Members of committees that review research per ethics regulations

Data Access Committees

Members of committees that oversee access to data repositories

However, CHIRON may be relevant to you even if you don’t fit neatly into one of these categories.

How to use CHIRON by role

How you might use CHIRON, by role:

Researchers

Use the exercises while actively working on a project, or make up a hypothetical project to discuss. Each exercise will help you think through your decisions with regard to a certain topic, such as choosing a research question, lumping or splitting variables, sharing results, etc.

Ethics Committee Members

Use CHIRON as a resource to guide your review process. You might adapt questions or prompts for inclusion in your application materials or discussion checklists. Choose a real research submission to discuss, or make up an imaginary one.

Data Access Committee Members

CHIRON can support your role as a safeguard against potential harms. You might integrate it into your review workflow or use specific exercises to inform your deliberations. You might also adapt questions or prompts for inclusion in your application materials or discussion checklists. Choose a real research submission to discuss, or make up an imaginary one.

💡 CHIRON is flexible. You can use it for individual reflection, team discussions, journal clubs, or professional training. We encourage you to adapt and remix it to suit your needs.

Tips for facilitation

Here are some tips to help your group get the most out of each session:

Choose a “driver.” Select someone to move things along, keep time, and share their screen (if meeting virtually). Switch “drivers” between each session.

Break up large groups. CHIRON works best in small groups of 2–5 people, but it can be adapted. Larger groups might consider breaking into smaller clusters for parts of the discussion.

Keep power dynamics in mind. Differences in career stage, experience, or identity can shape how people participate. Read our short guide on navigating power dynamics →

Be generous with each other’s perspectives. People will bring different experiences, and that’s a strength. Listen actively and ask questions with curiosity.

A few clarifications

Is there a certificate for completing CHIRON?

No – we do not track your use of CHIRON, so there is no certificate of completion.

Is CHIRON free?

Yes! CHIRON is free.

Can I copy CHIRON materials for my own use?

Yes! You’re encouraged to use, adapt, and share CHIRON materials freely. Everything is available under a CC BY 4.0 license, which means you just need to credit the CHIRON team and indicate if any changes were made.

If you use CHIRON, we’d love to hear about it. Consider letting us know at chiron@sagebase.org (note: this is not required).

Can I use AI with CHIRON?

We do not recommend using AI with CHIRON, i.e. to generate answers to discussion prompts or reflection questions. AI tools may introduce unknown bias.

How to cite CHIRON

The CHIRON toolkit is available for your use on a CC-BY license. Below is information you may need in order to cite or attribute the CHIRON toolkit:

Title: CHIRON toolkit

Author: CHIRON Project Team

At Sage Bionetworks: Megan Doerr (PI), Carly Marten, Stockard Simon, Adam Hindman, Shauntey Kalweit
Academic working group: Anouk Ruhaak, Astha Kapoor, Maile M. Tauali’i, Melissa Creary, Jasmine McNealy, Joon-Ho Yu, Samuel A. Moore
Community Engagement Studio facilitators: Andrea Downing, David Andres, Kalei Glozier, Odia Kane
Community Engagement Studio members: Amara Sugalski, Austin Jupiter Freeman, Barry Tong, Deborah Haber, Hugo de O. Campos, Kamuela Werner, Kimberly Zayhowski, Lebert Lester III, Liann Hoang Jimmons, Mālia Purdy, Megan Lockhart, Rodney C. Haring, Sarah Roth, Tyra Sampson, ZiZi Jordan, and 10 anonymous contributors.

Source: https://sites.google.com/sagebase.org/chiron

License: CC-BY

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Explore the exercises