Ethical research seeks to minimise risks of harm and increase benefits to participants and others. This includes the protection of the environment, culture and cultural heritage of groups and communities, enhancing the quality of the research as a whole.
The University’s research ethics principles inform the entire research life-cycle and are an integral part of the research itself. They apply to research and knowledge exchange activity in all fields and disciplines.
The University’s research ethics principles support the Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategy’s vision to ensure that our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is at the core of how we engage with everyone - from their first interactions with us and throughout our work together.
The University’s research ethics principles and expectations of its researchers can be found in the Research Ethics Policy.
The Policy forms part of the University’s Research Ethics Governance Framework and Guidance, found below.
Research Ethics Governance Framework
External organisations ethics approval (coming soon)
Favourable Opinion Letter template (coming soon)
Conditions Letter template (including conditions response checklist) (coming soon)
Online research ethics training course (for researchers, supervisors, reviewers, and those managing research)
Introduction to Research Ethics (45 minute interactive course)
Available to University colleagues and students only, University log in required. Access on request via [email protected].
Research Ethics Guidance and Processes documents
Research ethics classifications and work-flow chart (coming soon)
Working with Human Tissue information and guidance
In addition to the HTA Standard Operating Processes (SOPs) listed above (Consent, Compliants), and any HTA compliance and governance guides below, all colleagues working with human tissue for purposes of research must refer to, be familiar with, and follow the Policies and Processes within the University’s Working with Human Tissue HTA Blackboard site. Those providing compliance, governance permissions and/or ethics review must also be familiar with the guidelines for Human Tissue by visiting the same Blackboard site.
Governance permissions for the registration, use, storage, disposal or transfer of human tissue is not granted by the Research and Knowledge Exchange Ethics Committees (RECs) of the University and are managed through the University’s Human Tissue Authority (HTA) Designated Indvidual (DI) and the University’s Human Tissue Operations Group. Work involving human tissue for research purposes will still require ethics review either internally or externally as appropriate.
Compliance and Governance guides
Cyber security guidance (coming soon)
Data Protection Impact Assessment form (coming soon)
Safety, health and wellbeing policies and guidance (internal only)
Procurement advice on overseas travel (internal only)
Guidance on travel overseas (internal only)
Contacts
There are three College Research and Knowledge Exchange Ethics Committees (CRECs), one for each College:
| College | Chair | Secretary | College RKE Manager |
| DCDI | Alastair Blyth | Annabelle Perkins | Salah Din (RKEO) |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | Aurora Voiculescu | Mandy Walton | Nisha Kanwar (RKEO) |
| Westminster Business School | Petar Sudar | Nicole Wood | Victoria Patrick (RKEO) |