The definition of the end of the study should be stated in your study protocol. In most cases, this will be the date of the final visit of the last participant/volunteer or the conclusion of any follow-up monitoring and data collection. The completion of data analysis or publication of results will not be considered as the end of a study.
At the end of the research study, you will usually need to notify the review bodies that originally gave approval for it. How you do this will depend on the review body. The link below provides useful information on this: https://www.hra.nhs.uk/approvals-amendments/managing-your-approval/ending-your-project/
PLEASE NOTE: For studies receiving sponsorship from Swansea University in 2023, and subsequently, your study application will have been progressed through the Research Healthcare Sponsorship online portal. In this case please complete the End of Study sub-form available on the online portal (accessed through My Apps under the ‘Research Ethics Applicant’ tab. Please use the form entitled ‘Healthcare Sponsorship’ and 'End of Study' sub-form).
Once you have declared the end of study, and notified the relevant review bodies, you may need to submit a final report of the research. All study-based research that has been reviewed by a Research Ethics Committee, needs to submit a final report. This report should be submitted to the research ethics service within 12 months of the end of the study using the webform here: https://www.hra.nhs.uk/approvals-amendments/managing-your-approval/ending-your-project/final-report-form/
Other end of study considerations:
- Informing participants
- Publishing results
- Post-research care
- Storage of relevant material (HTA)
- Data storage
These should be done according to the study approvals and Sponsor requirements. Please contact researchgovernance@swansea.ac.uk if you have any questions.