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Request ethical approval

If you're a member of University staff or a student, you can apply for ethical approval for your research using the forms below. For guidance on which ethical approval form you need to submit, please refer to the Ethics Decision Tree diagram below. You may also need to fill out a Research Proposal Ethics Checklist. For research involving fieldwork a Fieldwork Risk Assessment form must be completed.

Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body

Request approval for research that involves animals in any way.

Download AWERB ethical approval form or Accessible Version of AWERB Form

NHS, Invasive or Clinical Research

For health/patient research and other research involving physically invasive procedures or intrusive interventions on human participants.

Download: 

NICR ethical approval form or Accessible Version

NICR Non-NHS Amendments Form or Accessible Version

General University Ethics Panel

For all other research which has ethical considerations, for example social, digital, environmental. 

Download GUEP ethical approval form (for staff and postgraduate research students) or Accessible Version of Approval Form 

Download 

2019/2020 GUEP Student Research Project Ethical Approval Form (for undergraduates and postgraduate taught students - including all Masters students) 

or 2019/20 Accessible Version of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Approval Form and submit it to your relevant Faculty/Division contact.

GUEP Student Research Project Ethical Approval (2018/19) (for undergraduate and postgraduate taught students)

or Accessible Version of Undergraduate and Posytgraduate Taught Approval Form and submit it to your relevant Faculty/Division contact.

Download GUEP Amendment Form - notification of amendments to a previously approved research project

Right of appeal

Researchers wishing to appeal against the decision of one of the Research Ethics Panels (REP) should, in the first instance, appeal the decision with the Chair of the REP. The Chair will review the reasoning for the decision and allow the applicant to present further arguments in favour of the proposal. With agreement from the Deputy Chair the initial decision may be altered. If the issue cannot be satisfactorily resolved at the REP level, the appellant should appeal in writing to the Committee Manager of the University Research Ethics Committee (ethics@stir.ac.uk) within 10 working days of receiving the REP decision. 

Details of the UREC appeals process are described in the Research Ethics Review Appeals Procedure. 

Ethics Decision Tree

Ethics Decision Tree

Principles, guidance and forms

The University of Stirling is committed to ensuring that all research conducted under our auspices is in accordance with the appropriate ethical, legal and professional frameworks, obligations and standards. The University’s ethical review process exists to ensure that our research activities continue to fulfil high ethical standards as well as legal obligations and safety standards.

The University’s guidelines for research ethics committees draw on the requirements of a number of institutions including; the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Framework for Research Ethics, the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), the British Psychological Society, the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) and other institutions to which the University is accountable. Due cognisance of both University and discipline-specific ethical standards and norms for practice-based research should be taken.

Please click on the following links to download the ethics guidance and forms you require:

Contact us

If you have a general question about our ethics policies and procedures, please get in touch.

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