NOTICE BY THE GENERAL BOARD
Reporter, 2008–09, p. 426
University Research Ethics Committee
1. The General Board have agreed to establish a University Research Ethics Committee which shall consist of:
- (a)the Chairman of the Human Biology Research Ethics Committee;
- (b)the Chairman of the Psychology Research Ethics Committee;
- (c)a member of the Cambridge Local Research Ethics Committee;
- (d)one person appointed by the General Board who shall be Chairman, provided that the General Board shall have power to appoint
as Chairman a person who is already a member of the Committee in one of classes (a), (b), (e) or (f);
- (e)two persons appointed by the General Board who shall not be resident members of the University;
- (f)up to four persons appointed by the General Board on the nomination of the Councils of the Schools to ensure appropriate representation
of areas of research involving human participants or personal data;
- (g)one member of the University, in statu pupillari, appointed on the nomination of the Graduate Union;
- (h)not more than two persons co-opted by the Committee, provided that it shall not be obligatory for the Committee to co-opt
any person or persons.
2. The appointment of members in classes (d)–(f) shall be made in the Michaelmas Term for periods of four years from the following 1 January. Members shall be eligible for
reappointment. Co-opted members shall serve until 31 December of the year in which they are co-opted or of the following year,
as the Committee shall determine at the time of their co-optation. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), the Academic Secretary,
the Director of the Research Services Division, and the Director of Human Resources shall have the right to attend meetings
of the Committee. The Secretary of the Committee shall be the Academic Secretary or a duly appointed deputy.
3. Six members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The Committee shall:
- (i)devise a University policy for approval by the General Board for the consideration, approval, and monitoring of research projects
involving human participants or personal data, including the establishment of specialist sub-committees, where appropriate,
to cover specific areas;
- (ii)monitor the implementation of this policy, establish associated procedures, and recommend to the Board any changes that are
considered necessary in the light of experience;
- (iii)consider and decide on any application for approval of research involving human participation or personal data which is referred
to the Committee by one of its sub-committees or by any other relevant body;
- (iv)establish, implement, and keep under review a procedure for considering appeals against decisions made by sub-committees to
withhold, suspend or withdraw approval of a research project which it considers to contravene University policies or procedures
on research involving human participants or personal data;
- (v)consider and advise on training provision for those involved in considering applications for research projects involving human
participants or personal data and for those undertaking such research;
- (vi)receive and consider annual reports from the ethics subject sub-committees;
- (vii)report annually to the General Board on (i)–(v) above.