Research Ethics Committee

The RCA Research Ethics Committee (REC) has the following delegated authority from the Research and Innovation Committee:

• To foster and uphold a culture of ethical and responsible research and research integrity in the College’s research and postgraduate activities
• To provide up-to-date, timely and appropriate advice and guidance to staff and students on good practice in research ethics and research integrity
• To develop, review, update and disseminate guidelines, policy and processes relating to research ethics and research integrity
• To prepare the College’s annual Research Integrity Statement and recommend it for review by the Research & Innovation Committee and for approval by Senate each year, ensuring the approved statements are published shortly after Senate approval on the College’s website, in accordance with the requirements of the UK Research Integrity Office
• To receive, note and take action as appropriate on regular reports from the two sub-groups that report into the Research Ethics Committee, the Research Ethics Network and the Taught Students Ethics Network, and to advise on any relevant issues referred to by the sub-groups, including on high-risk ethics approval applications referred to the Committee by either of the sub-groups or by the Research Office or other staff responsible for administering the ethics approval processes.
• To review appeals, complaints and adverse events or incidents reported that involve ethical aspects of staff research, research student or postgraduate taught projects
• To review and advise on the training available to RCA staff and students, in order to ensure a high standard of understanding of and compliance with good practice in research ethics and research integrity
• To report on an annual basis to the Research and Innovation Committee, ASC, SMT and Senate, including providing a summary of all reviewed projects and a report on the effectiveness of current practice and procedures.

The Research Ethics Committee is co-chaired by a senior member of the Research & Knowledge Exchange Office team (one of the RKE Heads) and the Deputy Director of Academic Development (or equivalent role), as agreed by the PVC Research & Innovation and the PVC Education. The Committee members will also include:

• the Head of Research Development
• the Head of Doctoral Programmes
• a minimum of three academic members of staff from the Schools, Academic Development Office programmes and the Research Centres

A minimum of one non-academic member of staff from each of the following teams: ILTS, Health & Safety, HR, General Managers, Research & Innovation.

Independent Advisors, having no connection with RCA and therefore able to give a completely independent review of research projects, will be consulted to advise the Committee as appropriate.

Secretary and Note-taker: Research & Knowledge Exchange Administrator

Deputy Director of Academic Development: Dr Chris Mitchell
Director of Materials Science Research Centre: Professor Sharon Baurely
Senior Tutor and Research Lead, School of Communication: Dr Laura Santamaria
Associate Director, Research, HHCD: Dr Melanie Flory
Research Development Manager: Dr Natalie Ilsley
Head of Doctoral Programmes: Professor Hala Mansour
Research & Knowledge Exchange General Manager: Michelle Jensen
Acting Head of Programme, School of Arts & Humanities: Professor Jaspar Joseph-Lester
Dean of School of Architecture: Professor Adrian Lahoud
Head of HR Business Partnering: Bernadette Ovens
Head of Research Development: Susan Hamilton
Tutor: School of Arts & Humanities: Isabel Young
Senior Tutor in Textiles: Dr Elif Ozden Yenigun
Head of Research Centres: Vimal Shah

For a meeting to be considered quorate there must be at least six members of the committee present, at least one of whom should be a lay member and one must be a co-Chair.

Term of Office of Members

In the first instance, the term of office will be 1 year, with the possibility of renewal. Non-academic members will be ex-officio due to their post; academic members will be rotated as appropriate.

Meetings

The REC will meet at least once per term according to a publicised schedule.

Specialist Advice

The co-Chairs may invite an individual to attend a particular meeting or meetings to give specialist advice to the REC. Such individuals however should not participate in the final decision-making of the REC.

Declaration of Interest

REC members must inform the co-Chairs if they have a vested financial or personal interest in a research project or with a project sponsor. The co-Chairs will decide whether the interest disqualifies the member from the discussion. The REC administrator will maintain a Register of Members' Interest which will be annually updated by members.

Submission of an annual report to the Research and Innovation Committee to include:

• a list of membership;
• details of changes to procedures;
• details of changes to the RCA Research Ethics Policy;
• a list of proposals reviewed and decisions made in the year;
• a report on any appeals, complaints or adverse incidents;
• a report on the overall function of the committee, including any emerging ethical issues and difficulties experienced during the year, and any recommendations concerning the effective implementation of and compliance with the policy and training needs.