Ethics in Research
The University of Cambridge has a
long-standing commitment to the highest standards of ethics in research. Over
time, discipline-specific policies and processes have developed to ensure that
research at Cambridge not only meets the requirements of legislation and
research sponsors, but also satisfies the standards of disciplinary best
practice adopted by peers.
The University’s Ethics Policy on the Ethics
of Research Involving Human Participants and Personal Data, is available here. This policy relates
solely to research involving human participants and personal data, for the
University’s Policy on the use of animals in research and teaching see: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/research-at-cambridge/policy-on-the-use-of-animals-in-research-and-teaching.
Ethical Review
The
University is committed to providing a rigorous and independent ethical review
process for research involving human participation or personal data. There are
four School-level research ethics committees at Cambridge that can provide
appropriate guidance and review for most research projects within their
disciplinary remits. These are:
A number of
departments and faculties at the University also have their own local research
ethics committees to provide guidance to researchers and expert local review
for low risk research. Please contact your Department for more details.
Ethical
review at Cambridge is overseen by the University Research Ethics Committee
(UREC). If required, School-level research ethics committees may refer
applications for ethical review to the UREC and applicants may appeal to UREC
against the decision of Cambridge University research committees. The grounds
on which such appeals can be made and the process for making an appeal can be
found in the University of Cambridge Research
Ethics Review Appeals Procedure.
For further information on UREC, or to contact the Committee, please email rhys.morgan@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Research that
requires review by an external body, such as a National Research Ethics Service
(NRES) Committee, should be identified and referred to that body as early as
possible in the review process. For details on when to apply to NRES, please
see the School of Clinical Medicine’s Research Governance pages: http://www.medschl.cam.ac.uk/documents/.
