Ethical approval for non-clinical research involving human participants: School Research Ethics Committees (SRECs)

Terms of reference

SRECs are responsible for maintaining ethical standards of practice in non-clinical research involving human participants, in order to protect participants and researchers from harm, preserve participants’ rights, and ensure public trust in the conduct of research at the University. SRECs report directly to the University Research Ethics Committee (UREC).

SRECs are responsible for:

• Advocacy of the importance of, and requirement for, ethical review of research
• Implementation of ethics policies and procedures determined by UREC
• Ethical review and approval of non-clinical research proposed by staff (including honorary staff and visitors) and students
• Provision of advice on procedures and requirements for ethical approval
• Liaison with other SRECs where necessary, for instance in the consideration of interdisciplinary research proposals
• Referral of cases where decisions cannot be reached, for instance due to complexity or conflicts of interest, to UREC
• Provision of appropriate ethics training to SREC members, reviewers, supervisors and staff undertaking research
• Reporting to UREC prior to each meeting of the parent committee and annually

Membership

• Convener (to act as main SREC contact)
• Deputy Convener
• Academic staff (in a number sufficient to ensure adequate subject coverage)
• Where desired, one academic member of staff from an area outwith the School(s) contributing to the SREC
• Where desired, a lay member

The quorum is two-thirds of the membership.