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School of Health and Social Care Research Ethics Committee

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Research Ethics Committee Information

The remit of the School of Health and Social Care Research Ethics Committee (REC) is as follows:

Since February 2017, The Medical School has had its own separate Research Ethics Committee.

For any Medical School Submissions, please visit the Medical School Research Ethics and Governance Committee Web Page

Students:

To ethically review all *research on human participants and/or data which is not publicly available. (When conducting research outside the UK, ethical permission should be sought locally as well as through the School ethics committee).

Staff:

Staff: To provide an ethical review for research on human participants and/or data which is not publicly available when no other system for formal ethical review is available.

*In respect of students, the term ‘research’ is given a broader definition to encompass service evaluation, where this concerns human participants.

*Where research involves the collection of human samples from non-NHS patients and they are storing that tissue for any period of time they either need to have NHS REC approval or hold it under the HTA licence – University REC is not sufficient for storing human samples, even if they are from healthy volunteers/students. 

See Swansea University guidelines on the collection of human tissue.

Excluded:

  • Research by staff which requires NHS research ethics scrutiny
  • Research where no human subjects or personal data are accessed (such as a review of literature)
  • Research using publicly available data.
  • Personal reflective practice-based work.

You can review the SU flowchart for gaining ethical approval here: Ethical Review Pathway Map

Submission:

Your electronic submission should all be contained within 1 document, signed by the applicant (where relevant both applicant and academic supervisor) and should be emailed to chhs-ethics@swansea.ac.uk

If you have any specific queries in relation to sponsorship of research, then kindly get in touch with Paola Griffiths (researchgovernance@swansea.ac.uk), who has an updated spreadsheet with information on University sponsored research by School.

Corona virus update:

To all staff and students who are currently in the process of submitting Ethics applications for research. Please note that the following does not apply to Psychology applications.

In respect of Undergraduate and Masters students who would be wishing to seek IRAS approval for their research (i.e. undertaking research on patients) please see update in respect of ongoing Pandemic here.

In light of the current situation, it has been agreed that with immediate effect all applications currently in the process of being submitted will now be subject to different criteria. All applications received by the Chair of the Ethics Committee (Angela Smith – a.m.smith@swansea.ac.uk) will be reviewed by the committee (through online zoom meetings) on the first and third working Monday of each month. Applicants should then receive a response from the Chair within five working days. Applications should be sent to the Chair no later than 5pm on the Monday preceding the meeting.

Meetings scheduled are as follows:

5th September

19th September

Corona virus update:

Pedagogic Research:

If the researcher is conducting ongoing pedagogic research on students as an integrated part of daily lessons, then this permission must be re-requested in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, and assurance sought that the permission previously given still stands. Any researcher who is recruiting students outside of their own College/School must move to remote recruitment or pause the study as outlined above.

New studies relating to COVID-19 (Guidance issued by King’s College London).

Kindly use similar principle if relevant to your research area:

  • An expedited review process will be considered for any new studies relating to COVID-19 where there are proven public health grounds to commence.
  • In order for such a study to gain clearance to proceed with face-to-face participant interactions and for this review to be expedited, the Principal Investigator must provide the following information:
  • What are public health grounds for the study to be conducted?
  • What is the rationale for the study to be conducted at this time? Why can it not be conducted at a later time?
  • Evidence of a Risk Assessment, considering the potential risk to the researcher themselves, signed off by the College Director of Research and Chair of College Ethics committee.
  • Researchers should copy their email to the Research Governance Officer researchgovernance@swansea.ac.uk
  • Please title the email “New Study relating to COVID-19” for prioritisation.

Welsh Government Guidelines

Please note that in accordance with recent changes in Welsh Government guidelines research involving human participants may now resume. This is subject to an updated H&S COVID Safe Operating Procedure for Research involving Human participants.  Research involving Human Participants Guidance

This means that there is no longer a requirement for the completion of a justification report and that non-essential research may resume. It will however be subject to authorisation process in that the SOP needs to be adhered to and a Risk Assessment and Considerations checklist together with a Covid Participant questionnaire needs to be completed (Appendices 1 and 2) by applicants, and authorised by Supervisors and then included within any Ethics application to the Research Ethics Committee. Participants also need to be given Appendix 4 (Participant Information).  

The university has now developed a Safe Operating Procedure whereby face to face research may be allowed to recommence. This is subject to strict criteria and please refer to the link below specifically on Covid 19 information where all relevant documentation can be accessed.

Read More about how PEER can help you

Students

Get help from the Patient Experience and Evaluation in Research Group before you apply for ethical approval.  Read more here about How PEER can help.

Download the DBS Guide to Eligibility

NRES NRES - Does my project require ethical review?

Does my project need NHS approval? Student Research Toolkit

Find out more... Ethics Principles

Download NRES leaflet on creating information sheets