Ethics review
The Ethics Quick Test and Ethics Awareness Form will indicate whether your study requires additional ethics review.
For certain areas of work, the Ethics Committee has established dedicated ethics review processes. Additional ethics review will need to be completed for these activities.
Investigations involving Human Participants
If you are conducting ANY investigation involving human participants, you will need to obtain a favourable decision from the Ethics Review Sub-Committee. The type of review required depends on the extent of any physical, sociological or emotional risk to participants.
- Follow the Code of Practice on Investigations Involving Human Participants.
- Complete an ethics application via LEON
Investigations involving activity falling under the Human Tissues Act
- Follow guidance from the Human Tissue Act Licence Sub-Committee
- Reference to the Human Tissue Act Licence Quality Manual
- If necessary, complete an ethics application via LEON
Investigations involving Animals or Animal Cells and Tissues
If you are conducting ANY investigation involving animals or animal cells or tissues investigators must complete an ethics review application via LEON. Please see guidance below for further details and scope of this ethics process.
Investigations involving accessing Security Sensitive or Extremism-Related Material
If you are conducting ANY investigation involving accessing Security Sensitive or Extremism-Related Material investigators must complete an ethics review application via LEON. Please see guidance below for further details and scope of this ethics process.
Investigations with Military Applications or Using Dual use Technologies
This process applies to investigations with military applications, including non-military research where this may also be used for military purposes, regardless of the funding source.Military Applications or Dual Use Technologies
Complete the Review Process for Projects Involving Investigations with Military Applications or Dual Use Technologies
Researchers must comply with all legal requirements relating to non-proliferation and dual-use, particularly export controls. Export controls apply to the transfer (by any means) of goods, technology, software and/or knowledge from the UK to a destination outside the UK that may be used for military or Weapons of Mass Destruction purposes. Failure to adhere to the requirements of the Export Controls legislation is a criminal offence.
Activities involving Elevated Ethical Risk International Collaborations
This process relates to projects or activities involving people or entities from countries or regimes which raise particular ethical issues (for example, around civil/human rights, or national security), and which therefore give rise to a distinctive set of ethical questions, requiring additional scrutiny through the University’s ethics review processes.
Complete the Review Process for Elevated Ethical Risk International Collaborations
Non-human Genetic Resources
If your study involves the use of non-human genetic resources you should review whether the study would fall under the Nagoya Protocol. For further details see here: Nagoya Protocol Guidance
If your study falls under the Nagoya Protocol please contact the Research Office at researchpolicy@lboro.ac.uk or Julie Turner in the Health and Safety Office for further guidance.
Funding by philanthropic gifts
Follow the process outlined in Appendix 6 of the Ethical Policy Framework.
Possible conflict with ethical principles partially or wholly outside the above
In the first instance, forward a study description to the Dean of School or the Responsible Person (see Appendix 3 of the Ethical Policy Framework for a list of contacts).