Committee on Research Ethics

Committee description

Secretary: Matthew Billington, Email: mjbill2@liverpool.ac.uk

Preamble from the University Policy on Research Ethics [1] 

The University is committed to maintaining the highest standards of rigour and integrity in its research. As a component of this commitment, the University requires that all research projects which involve human participants, their tissues or their personal information should receive research ethics approval before they commence. This commitment is set out in the University’s policy on research ethics. It applies with equal force to projects undertaken by staff or students of the University in any location, including joint work with third party organisations.

The Committee on Research Ethics (CORE) is responsible for the implementing this policy on behalf of the Council.

Terms of Reference

a)    To seek to ensure that all research projects which involve human participants, their tissues or their personal information receive research ethics approval before they commence.

b)    To ensure that there is an effective process for research ethics approval of research projects undertaken throughout the University, including branches of the University located outside the Liverpool campus.

c)    To approve the Terms of Reference and Membership of its subcommittees, and to receive reports from these subcommittees on the decisions reached.

d)    To ensure that each Faculty has properly constituted research ethics committees within their Schools and Institutes to provide a review of appropriate projects.

e)    When appropriate, to define procedures for the research ethics review of distinct types of research projects.

f)     To promote a wide understanding and engagement with research ethics issues across the University.

g)    To keep abreast of the range of research ethics issues raised by the evolving University research portfolio and developments in the external legal and regulatory environment.

h)    To act as a final point of reference for appeals against the decisions made by its subcommittees.

i)      To refer any perceived failure of a researcher to comply with the research ethics policy or terms of research ethics approval to the Research Governance Committee.

j)      To produce an annual report to University Council.

The Committee has established five subcommittees to give detailed consideration to University research projects requiring ethical approval:

  • Central University Research Ethics Committee A
  • Central University Research Ethics Committee B
  • Central University Research Ethics Committee C
  • Liverpool Online Research Ethics Committee

These subcommittees may have further subcommittees reporting into them.

Reporting Relationship

As a Joint Committee of the Senate and the Council, the Committee on Research Ethics reports to the Senate and to the Council (usually through an annual report); and reports to the Research Integrity and Governance Committee for information.

 Frequency of Meetings

The Committee on Research Ethics usually meets on three occasions during the academic year.

Quorum

The quorum for meetings of the Committee on Research Ethics shall be four members.

Members or key people

Ex officio:

 

The Vice-Chancellor

Professor T Jones

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Impact

Professor A Hollander

Chair (Lay Member appointed by Council)

Dr R Platt

Vice Chair (Lay Member appointed by Council)

Dr D Walford

The Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellors or their nominees:

 

Health and Life Sciences

To be appointed

Humanities and Social Sciences

 Professor F Measham (nominee)

Science and Engineering

Professor J Spencer (nominee)

The Faculty Leads for Research Ethics

 

Health and Life Sciences

Professor J Gallagher

Humanities and Social Sciences

L Hardwick

Science and Engineering

Dr M Bowden

The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Central University Research Ethics Committee A

Dr K Burrell

Dr G Brewer

The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Central University Research Ethics Committee B

Dr J Harrold

Dr M Bowden

The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Central University Research Ethics Committee C

Professor G Kemp

Dr M Chaponda

Ethics Lead for Online Programmes

Dr F Watkins

Chair of the Liverpool Online Research Ethics Committee

Dr V O’Donnell

Academic members with expertise in research ethics

Professor E Perkins

Up to three additional lay members, appointed by the Council

J Harkin

The Director of Legal and Compliance, or their nominee

D McVey (nominee)

The Head of the Research Support Office

S Farnsworth

The University will take care to ensure that an appropriate range of disciplines is represented on the Committee. The University will also ensure that the membership of the Committee will reflect the broader research, teaching and outreach interests of the University.

The Committee shall have the power to invite additional persons, who need not be members of the University, to present on specific agenda items.

Meeting dates

A full schedule of Committee meeting dates can be viewed here.