Research Ethics Committee

The Research Ethics Committee (REC) has the following delegated authority from the Research & 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 Review Network and the Taught Students Ethics Sub-Committee, and to advise on any relevant issues referred to by the sub-groups
• To review and approve, or withhold approval from, any research ethics applications classed as 'high risk'
• To review and approve, or withhold approval from, any taught postgraduate project and dissertation proposals classed as ‘high risk’
• To review appeals, complaints and adverse events or incidents reported regarding ethically approved research 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 Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation and the Pro Vice-Chancellor Education will act as co-Chairs of the Research Ethics Committee. The Committee members will also include:

• the Head of Research Development
• the Head of Doctoral Programmes
• the Deputy Director of Academic Development
• 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

Dr Emma Wakelin: PVC Research and Innovation (Co-Chair)
Dr Chris Mitchell: Deputy Director, Academic Development (Co-Chair)
Professor Hala Mansour: Head of Doctoral Programmes (Substitute Chair for this meeting)
Sharon Baurley: Director, Materials Science Research Centre
Laura Santamaria: Senior Tutor and Research Lead, School of Communications
Melanie Flory: Associate Director Research, HHCD
Natalie Ilsley: Research Development Manager
Michelle Jensen: RKE General Manager
Jaspar Joseph Lester: Head of Programme, Sculpture
Adrian Lahoud: Dean, School of Architecture
Bernadette Ovens: Head of HR Business Partnering
Susan Hamilton: Head of Research Development
Isabel Young: Tutor, School of Arts & Humanities
Dr Elif Ozden Yenigun: Senior Tutor, School of Design

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 the Chair.

In the first instance, 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.

Specialist Advice

The Chair 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 Chair if they have a vested financial or personal interest in a research project or with a project sponsor. The Chair 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.

Indemnity for REC Members

The RCA will maintain appropriate insurance cover and will indemnify all members of the REC against any claims made against them which arise in respect of their membership of the REC, provided that they have acted in good faith in reaching the decisions made.

Meetings

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

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.