The purpose of the ethics committee is to provide ethical oversight of research-based activities conducted by staff and students in relevant departments of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. The faculty has two ethics committees, IHR (Institute of Health Research) and IASR (Institute of Applied Social Research)

The IHREC is responsible for providing ethics opinion to research undertaken by staff and postgraduate research students within the Faculty of Health and Social Science whose research focus is in health rather than in social research. Research proposals that are concerned specifically with social rather than health issues should be addressed by IASR. There will be occasions where a proposed project may seem to fit equally well with either ethics committee in which case the researcher should contact the Chair of IHR and/or IASREC and discuss the most appropriate way forward.

It does not matter which committee gives approval as long as it has been given.

ALL research undertaken within the Institute for Health Research, whether primary (involving fieldwork with human beings) or secondary (involving work which draws on already published resources), requires ethical approval. Proposals must be submitted to and approved by the ethics committee before fieldwork can commence.

Proposals for all research based and other academic activities which involve contact with individuals or organisations must be submitted to, and approved by, the ethics committee before fieldwork can commence.

Please download and complete the appropriate application and return an electronic copy to EthicsIHR@beds.ac.uk

For Medical Education, Dental Education and Dental Law and Ethics, all applications and queries should be sent to MedicalDentalEthicsForms@beds.ac.uk

Please note that there is a minimum turn around period of 10 days, and this can be longer during busy periods, so applicants must ensure that their ethics applications are submitted in good time.

All proposals for primary/empirical research must be submitted using the IHREC application form:

• IHREC Research Proposal Ethics Review Form [DOC]

If the research involves participants from the NHS (patients) or participants who fall under the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, approval must be obtained from the NHS Local Research Ethics Committee via the Integrated Research Application System: www.myresearchproject.org.uk

Health students doing secondary/non-empirical research, ie, library-based (literature review/systematic review) dissertations, research proposals or service improvement projects should download and complete one of the following forms:

• Library-based Ethics Approval Form [DOC] for students doing literature reviews (which in some courses also includes some reflection on practice) or research proposals
• A Service Improvement Ethics Approval Form [DOC] for use by undergraduate and masters students doing service improvement projects.

Students undertaking secondary research must have a hard copy of their form as well as signing it themselves and should retain a copy to submit as an appendix to their dissertation.

PhD students who will be collecting data from outside the UK MUST contact the Research Graduate for the appropriate application form.

Researchers are encouraged to be aware of the Dept of Health's Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care:

• Research governance framework for health and social care: Second edition

Researchers should also refer to The British Psychological Society's Code of Human Research Ethics:

• BPS Code of Human Research Ethics [PDF]

IHR Researchers can access University Insurance Indemnity Certificate here:

• University Insurance Indemnity Certificate [PDF]

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

• GDPR Guidance for Researchers [PDF]
• Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) Guidance [PDF]
• Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) Form [DOCX]