Request ethical approval

If you're a member of University staff or a student, you can apply for ethical approval through the University's Ethical Review Manager.

Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body

Request approval for research that involves animals in any way.

Request AWERB ethical approval - Staff and PGRs
Request AWERB ethical approval - Students

Submission process and deadlines for AWERB

The AWERB panel meets regularly throughout the year to consider ethical approval applications. See their schedule of upcoming meetings below.

Applications are reviewed weekly, we aim to have an outcome within 10 working days. Please submit your application through ERM.

Time

Meeting dates and submission deadlines
Meeting date
10 Dec 2021 10:00 - 12:00
18 March 2022 10:00 - 12:00
10 June 2022 10:00 - 12:00
16 Sept 2022 10:00 - 12:00
09 Dec 2022 10:00 - 12:00

Contact awerb@stir.ac.uk

NHS, Invasive or Clinical Research

For health/patient research and other research involving physically invasive procedures or intrusive interventions on human participants.

Request NICR ethical approval - Staff and PGRs
Request NICR ethical approval - Students

Submission process and deadlines for NICR

Additional Approval

Approval through NICR should proceed as outlined below.

Staff applying to IRAS

Staff applying through IRAS for ethical approval of their study should complete and submit an IRAS application form. Staff do not require NICR approval before they submit through IRAS.

Once submitted staff should also lodge details of their IRAS application through the Ethics Review Manager (ERM) where they will be asked to upload a PDF copy of their IRAS application.

Students

Students should complete an IRAS application form, but not submit it. Instead, they should save a copy of the IRAS PDF form and submit it through ERM for review by the NICR Panel. Only once NICR have granted approval for submission through IRAS should the application be submitted.

You must discuss with the appropriate NHD R&D Office as to whether NHS R&D approval ONLY is required, or whether NHS R&D and NHS REC approval is required, and seek guidance from them as to the subsequent application process.

The NICR panel meets regularly throughout the year to consider ethical approval applications. See their schedule of upcoming meetings and submission deadlines below.

Application and meeting deadlines

 Applications due

(5pm)

Meeting date        
06 Feb 2023 21 Feb 2023
06 Mar 2023 21 Mar 2023
10 Apr 2023 25 Apr 2023
15 May 2023 30 May 2023
12 Jun 2023 27 Jun 2023
No July meeting  No July meeting 
07 Aug 2023 22 Aug 2023
04 Sep 2023 19 Sep 2023
02 Oct 2023 17 Oct 2023
30 Oct 2023 14 Nov 2023
27 Nov 2023 12 Dec 2023

General University Ethics Panel

For all other research which has ethical considerations, for example social, digital, environmental.

Request GUEP ethical approval - Staff and PGRs
Request GUEP ethical approval - Students

Faculty/Division contacts

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Submit via ERM

Institute of Aquaculture

aquaguep@stir.ac.uk

Biological and Environmental Sciences

besguep@stir.ac.uk

Computing Science and Maths

ethics@cs.stir.ac.uk

Psychology

psychethicssubs@stir.ac.uk

Faculty of Social Sciences

fossfacultyoffice@stir.ac.uk

Sport

sportethics@stir.ac.uk

Stirling Management School

Submit via ERM

Health Sciences

Submit via ERM

Submission deadlines

The GUEP panel meets regularly throughout the year to consider ethical approval applications. See their schedule of upcoming meetings and submission deadlines below.

Application deadlines and meeting dates
Applications due (5pm)Meeting date
3 January 2023 17 January 2023 
27 January 2023 14 February 2023 
24 February 2023 14 March 2023
31 March 2023 18 April 2023
4 May 2023 23 May 2023
2 June 2023 20 June 2023
30 June 2023 18 July 2023
28 July 2023 15 August 2023
25 August 2023 12 September 2023 
22 September 2023 10 October 2023
20 October 2023 7 November 2023
17 November 2023 5 December 2023

Contact guep@stir.ac.uk

Right of appeal

Researchers wishing to appeal against the decision of one of the Research Ethics Panels (REP) should, in the first instance, appeal the decision with the Chair of the REP. The Chair will review the reasoning for the decision and allow the applicant to present further arguments in favour of the proposal. With agreement from the Deputy Chair the initial decision may be altered. If the issue cannot be satisfactorily resolved at the REP level, the appellant should appeal in writing to the Committee Manager of the University Research Ethics Committee (ethics@stir.ac.uk) within 10 working days of receiving the REP decision. 

Details of the UREC appeals process are described in the Research Ethics Review Appeals Procedure. 

Principles, guidance and forms

The University of Stirling is committed to ensuring that all research conducted under our auspices is in accordance with the appropriate ethical, legal and professional frameworks, obligations and standards. The University’s ethical review process exists to ensure that our research activities continue to fulfil high ethical standards as well as legal obligations and safety standards.

As part of our commitment to ensuring all research carried out at, or through, the University of Stirling meets our ethical standards, all student dissertations - both undergraduate and postgraduate taught - are considered for ethical implications.

The University’s guidelines for research ethics committees draw on the requirements of a number of institutions including; the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Framework for Research Ethics, the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), the British Psychological Society, the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) and other institutions to which the University is accountable. Due cognisance of both University and discipline-specific ethical standards and norms for practice-based research should be taken.

Approved protocols

If using one of the below approved protocols please apply to GUEP (General University Ethics Panel) - unless the research involves NHS patients or other invasive procedures, in which case apply to NICR. Please make reference to the approved protocol that you will be using within your application for approval.

Protocol-EEG-Complete Guidance

Protocol-Use of Research Tokens for Undergraduate Students

Protocol-BioPAC/Physiological recordings for psychological research

Protocol-fNIRS

If you will be undertaking research within the University's Kindergarten please refer to their established and approved procedures - these are for internal staff and students only. 

If using one of the below approved protocols please apply to the University's NICR (NHS, Invasive and Clinical Research) review panel making reference to the approved protocol in your application. 

Protocol-Max Strength Test

Protocol-Muscle Biopsy

Protocol-Urine/Blood Sampling

Protocol-Alcohol consumption in Adults Volunteers

Protocol-tDCS

Protocol Adipose Tissue Biopsy

Please note that the University's ethics panels welcome the use of protocols where appropriate. Please put forward protocols for approval to the relevant panel. 

Contact us

If you have a general question about our ethics policies and procedures, please get in touch.

Email
ethics@stir.ac.uk