Accessibility statement

Professional Services Research Ethics Committee

Terms of Reference 

Objectives

Objectives 

To ensure that the principles and standards articulated within the University's ethical framework are upheld in relation to Professional Services activities undertaken under the University's auspices, including research, consultancy, outreach and dissemination of best practice.

Remit

Remit 

i. Oversee, monitor and review processes for research ethics as they relate to staff projects within the Professional Services Directorate.
 
ii. Advise on, and where appropriate consider, ethical approval for activities (eg consultancy or CPD) that are commissioned by/intended for specific non-academic audiences (eg educational authorities, Government). Such activities will be considered for approval if they collect data which may then be used by the University or the individual members of staff for eg wider dissemination (ie external to the University), research publications or proposals, impact cases studies.
 
iii. Make recommendations and requests to individual members of staff about the acceptability of their proposal in terms of ethics-related issues, including design, participant recruitment, data storage and management.
 
iv. PGCAP projects will only be in scope when they are led by a member of Professional Services staff.

Authority

Authority

On behalf of the Academic Ethics and Compliance Committee, the Professional Services Ethics Committee is empowered to:

  • consider the ethical dimensions of proposed activities (as listed in 2ii) and advise on whether their opinion of the activity is: a) favourable as proposed; b) conditionally favourable, under certain defined conditions or specific requirements; c) or unfavourable;
  • exercise powers to require the halting of activities if substantive ethical problems are identified as the activity progresses until such time as any such concerns have been remedied to the satisfaction of the committee;
  • withdraw a favourable opinion when concerns are not remedied to the satisfaction of the committee.

Reporting and Frequency

Reporting and frequency

Reporting to Academic Ethics and Compliance Committee:
Professional Services Ethics Committee is a sub-committee of the Academic Ethics and Compliance Committee and reports directly to it.

  • Ad hoc: through communication as and when required;
  • Annually: via an annual report;
  • On a three-year cycle: via participation in the process for monitoring the ethical review of projects;
  • Periodically: via other policies, reports, plans and progress updates which it reviews and/or recommends for Academic Ethics and Compliance Committee approval within the business cycle and its terms of reference.
    Reporting to the Committee:
    • Professional services staff conducting research (ie work meeting the Frascati definition of research)
    • International Pathway College teaching staff
    • Continuing Professional Development teaching staff

Meeting frequency: a minimum of twice per year, with the facility to transact and record decisions by written resolution or, where necessary, Chair’s Action.
Meeting modes: to be confirmed following consultation with members.

Constitution & Membership

Constitution and membership 

The Committee aims to be split reasonably evenly between members from within the Professional Services Directorate, and those from other areas of the University, plus Lay and Student Representation.

Other membership considerations:
Staff representatives should be drawn from the Professional Services Directorates, with no two members from the same department, and should between them have sufficient experience to be able to speak to the matters presented.
Proxy or alternate members are not permitted. Individual colleagues may be invited to attend for select items as and when the need arises. Quorum: 50% of members, or 50%+ 1 member where the number of members is not even.

Membership review: membership will be periodically reviewed by the Committee itself for approval. Membership is otherwise coterminous with the individual’s appointment term. Gender balance and wider EDI considerations should be factored into the Committee’s reflection on its own size and composition.

MEMBERSHIP
Chair,
Deputy Chair,
Three staff members appointed by Professional Services Heads of Department,
Three University Academic staff members,
One Lay member,
Two Student Representatives, one undergraduate and one PGR
 
In attendance
Committee Secretary