Committees for Ethics Review
Under the umbrella of the University Research Council, independent ethics review committees put the rights, safety, dignity and well-being of research participants at the centre of decision-making while considering the potential benefits of the project to participants, science and society.
Members’ background ranging from active researchers, professional disciplines, discerning public, legal expertise and both genders. The duration of appointment is for three years for internal members and one year for external members, which can be further renewed for one term.
All ERCs receive administrative support from the DRGS and submit annual reports to the URC highlighting their work and more importantly the challenges they face.
Ethics Committees
Common features of an ethics review:
- The duration of approval granted for a study is limited.
- Any change in conditions that could affect the rights of subjects during a study must be approved for the study to continue.
- The committee approves amendments to protocols that affect human subjects.
- The committee provides written guidelines on ethical considerations for research involving humans.
- The committee may withdraw approval if dissatisfied with the conduct of the investigator.
