University Research Ethics Committee

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The process of UREC review is summarised in the flow diagram at the bottom of this page.

The University Research Committee (UREC) comprises academic staff from Schools within the University and lay members. UREC is chaired by the LJMU Research Governance Manager Dr Dave Harriss. The secretary of UREC is Mandy Williams (Research Support Officer Ethics and Governance) based in the Research and Innovation Services.

UREC reviews ethics applications and administer minimal risk registration forms for principal investigators who are LJMU staff or postgraduate research (PGR) students. Following consultation with supervisors, School/Faculty RECs, module/programme leaders and School Directors UREC will consider reviewing undergraduate and PGT projects that do not meet the criteria for ethical review by the School REC – but only after the student’s supervisor has considered changing the project so that it meets the criteria for ethical review by the School REC.

To submit an ethics application to UREC:

Ethics application: Complete the ethics application form and supporting documents
Submission: Staff or student’s supervisor submits the UREC Research Ethics and Governance Decision Tool (involves uploading the ethics application form – the ethics application will automatically be submitted for routine review, expedited review or minimal risk registration when the decision tool is submitted)

Minimal risk registration

Once the ethics application has been checked (usually takes 1-5 days - but up to three weeks at end of July and throughout August), as long as the project will comply with the LJMU Research Ethics and Governance SOP, the notification of favourable ethics opinion and approval will be emailed to the applicants (no further ethical review will be required). Checking the ethics application may result in a deferral notification or a notification to revise and resubmit the ethics application using the UREC Research Ethics and Governance Decision Tool.

Expedited UREC ethical review

Projects that meet the criteria for expedited UREC review will usually be reviewed within 10 working day (up to three weeks during July/Aug) by two members of UREC (one of whom will be the Chair or a Deputy Co-Chair of UREC) who will decide whether the application receives a favourable ethics opinion, an unfavourable ethics opinion, is deferred or referred for routine UREC ethical review. Resubmitted ethics applications following a deferral from UREC are usually reviewed within 5 working days (up to three weeks during July/August).

Routine UREC ethical review

Projects that meet the criteria for routine UREC ethical review must be reviewed at a UREC meeting. UREC meets approximately every 4 to 6 weeks with the submission deadline set 11 working days before the meeting date. Once submitted, the Chair of UREC will screen the ethics application to ensure the information provided will permit routine ethical review. So if requested by the Chair, an applicant must be prepared to update their ethics application and resubmit it at least six days before the UREC meeting date. At the UREC meeting, the ethics application will receive a favourable ethics opinion, an unfavourable ethics opinion or be deferred. Applicants will normally be notified within 1 to 3 working days of the UREC decision. UREC will decide whether deferred applications need to be resubmitted for ethical review at a future UREC meeting or can be resubmitted for review by chairs action. Chairs action review of resubmitted ethics applications are usually completed within five working days.