TRREE-for Africa (Training and Resources in Research Ethics Evaluation-for Africa ) is a consortium of partners brought together in 2006 from African (Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania) and developed countries (Canada, Germany, Switzerland) working together for the protection of research and clinical trial participants in Africa while promoting high quality research and the protection of research participants in Africa. TRREE-for Africa provides those who ensure research stakeholders particularly in the context of international collaborative research, with a: o a trilingual (currently English, French and German, Spanish and Portuguese in project) distance learning program (web-based e-learning and CD-Rom) in research ethics evaluation, including international, European and national regulations and, o a bilingual (English - French) participatory web-site of resources through which it is possible to make research ethics and regulatory resources available (e-resources). TRREE pursues the dual objectives of addressing the specific training needs of the members of Research Ethics Committees (RECs), and of integrating each partner of the TRREE team in every step of the development of the training program. One of TRREE's major characteristics is to be completely bilingual (French and English) and also partially trilingual (e-learning in German as well), thus responding to the specific and relatively under-funded needs of the French speaking Sub-Saharan region. Another key characteristic is the emphasis on bi-directional learning (north-south, south-north). The requested funding will enable to assure the sustainability of the TRREE project and thereby serve as a major contribution of the SNF in developing its South - North dimension. The first deliverable will be a renewed and adapted legal and organizational structure that will facilitate the inclusion of new partners from the North (especially Europe) and the South (especially from Africa). This should help diversify TRREE sources of funding and support while reinforcing its independence and capacity to provide much needed high quality on-line training programmes on research ethics and regulation in an international environment. The second deliverable will be a set of standard operating procedures for developing such on-line training programmes. This will capitalize on the newly acquired experiences and share these with others involved in the field. One of the main outcomes of the requested funding will therefore be to offer the necessary tools to move on to this next step in which Switzerland could play a major role.