University Teaching and Research Ethics Committee
Structure
- Quorum - The quorum of UTREC is four
- Lay Person - An essential component of having an 'independent committee' is having a lay person serving on the committee. This layperson serves on UTREC and as such plays a part in monitoring each School Ethics Committee.
- Recording of Decisions on Projects - Committees should make clear and record, in note or minute form, how they came to their decisions.
- Response Time - Ethical applications will be processed normally at the monthly meeting and response issued to applicants within 1 week of the meeting date.
- UTREC must be free from bias and undue influence, free also from the researchers whose proposals it considers, and free from the personal or financial interests of its members. No supervisor should be part of the Committee approval process during consideration of their own supervisee's application.
- Conflict of Interest - members must declare any potential conflicts of interest. This may include potential links with ethical applications, conflicts between the private interests of a member of the Committee.
Research Projects involving animals should go through the Animal Welfare Committee. Further information on this committee can be obtained from their website.