ABSTRACT
During the outbreak of SARS in Toronto, clinical researchers noted that the need for approval from research ethics boards had resulted in "delays and missed opportunities" for their research protocols.6 Such emergencies have illuminated the challenges of combining speed and flexibility with intense scrutiny in conventional research ethics reviews. In response to requests for guidance from research ethics committees around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently held a special technical consultation titled "Research ethics in international epidemic response."7
