Remit of the RCSI Research Ethics Committee (REC)

The Research Committee of the RCSI approved the establishment of an RCSI Research Ethics Committee (REC) in 1998. The aim of the RCSI REC is to ensure the highest standards of conduct in our research and to support staff in pursuing this goal.

The REC has the following remit:

1. To evaluate ethical considerations of all research projects involving human or animal participants, and conducted by or through members of staff, which are not evaluated by other similar committees.
2. To serve an educational and advisory role regarding ethical aspects of research in order to promote best practice in research conducted throughout RCSI.

Research projects conducted by or through RCSI staff must have ethical approval before they commence by this or other legitimate approval mechanisms. Without approval, the College will consider the responsible member of staff to have acted without the use of appropriate safeguarding mechanisms and will not be responsible for ethical difficulties arising from the conduct of the research project in question.

It is acknowledged that most research conducted through the College already meets stringent ethical committee approval standards through mechanisms such as hospital ethics committees. The College's REC does not intend to duplicate the work of these committees and will review only those projects not already covered by such mechanisms.