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. 

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

The AWERB panel meets regularly throughout the year to consider ethical approval applications. See their schedule of upcoming meetings and submission deadlines below.

Meeting date Time
19 Jun 2020 10:00 - 12:00
25 Sept 2020 10:00 - 12:00
11 Dec 2020 10:00 - 12:00

Contact awerb@stir.ac.uk

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

Additional Approval

Approval through NICR should proceed as outlined below.

Staff

Staff requiring NHS approval should complete and submit an IRAS application form, direct to the NHS. 

Staff not requiring NHS approval should complete an IRAS application forn, but not submit it. Instead they should save a copy of the IRAS PDF form and send it to NICR alongside their completed NICR coversheet. 

Students

Students should complete an IRAS application form, but not submit it. Instead, they should save a copy of the IRAS PDF form and send it to NICR alongside their completed NICR coversheet.

You must discuss with the appropriate NHD R&D Office as to whether NHS R&D approval ONLY is required, or whether NHS R&D and NHS REC approval is required, and seek guidance from them as to the subsequent application process.

The NICR panel meets regularly throughout the year to consider ethical approval applications. See their schedule of upcoming meetings and submission deadlines below.

Applications due (5pm)

Meeting date 
16 Jun 2020

30 Jun 2020
No July meeting
11 Aug 2020 25 Aug 2020
15 Sep 2020 29 Sep 2020
13 Oct 2020 27 Oct 2020
10 Nov 2020 24 Nov 2020
07 Dec 2020 22 Dec 2020

General University Ethics Panel

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

Staff and Postgraduate Research Students (download as required)

GUEP ethical approval form or Accessible Version  

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

 

Undergraduates and Postgraduate Taught Students (download as required)

GUEP Student Research Project Ethical Approval Form  or Accessible Version

 

and submit it to your relevant Faculty/Division contact.

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Submit via Canvas

Institute of Aquaculture

aquaguep@stir.ac.uk

Biological and Environmental Sciences

besguep@stir.ac.uk

Computing Science and Maths

ethics@cs.stir.ac.uk

Psychology

psychethicssubs@stir.ac.uk

Faculty of Social Sciences

fossfacultyoffice@stir.ac.uk

Sport

sportethics@stir.ac.uk

Stirling Management School

Submit via Canvas

Health Sciences

stir.ac.uk

The GUEP panel meets regularly throughout the year to consider ethical approval applications. See their schedule of upcoming meetings and submission deadlines below.

Applications due (5pm)

Meeting date
05 Jun 2020 23 Jun 2020
03 Jul 2020 21 Jul 2020
31 Jul 2020 18 Aug 2020
04 Sep 2020 22 Sep 2020
02 Oct 2020 20 Oct 2020
30 Oct 2020 17 Nov 2020
27 Nov 2020 15 Dec 2020

Contact guep@stir.ac.uk

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:

If using one of the below approved protocols please apply to the University's AWERB (Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body) making reference to the approved protocol in your application.

Protocol-An Investigation of lumpfish behaviour in salmon net pens using acoustic telemetry

Protocol-Characterisation of the proinflammatory immune response in fish using macrophage primary cell culture

Protocol-Culture of Amoebic Gill Disease (AGD) on Atlantic salmon

Protocol-Field collection of sea lice for in vitro or tank trials 

Protocol-Generic diagnostic research projects

Protocol-Implications for aquaculture of non-regulated emerging mycotoxins 

Protocol-Maintenance and culture of marine invertebrates for marine toxicity studies

 

If using one of the below approved protocols please apply to GUEP (General University Ethics Panel) - unless the research involves NHS patients or other invasive procedures, in which case apply to NICR. Please make reference to the approved protocol that you will be using within your application for approval.

Protocol-EEG-Complete Guidance

Protocol-Use of Research Tokens for Undergraduate Students

Protocol-BioPAC/Physiological recordings for psychological research

Protocol-fNIRS

If you will be undertaking research within the University's Kindergarten please refer to their established and approved procedures - these are for internal staff and students only. 

 

If using one of the below approved protocols please apply to the University's NICR (NHS, Invasive and Clinical Research) review panel making reference to the approved protocol in your application. 

Protocol-Max Strength Test

Protocol-Muscle Biopsy

Protocol-Urine/Blood Sampling

Protocol-Alcohol consumption in Adults Volunteers

Protocol-tCDS

Protocol Adipose Tissue Biopsy

Please note that the University's ethics panels welcome the use of protocols where appropriate. Please put forward protocols for approval to the relevant panel. 

Contact us

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

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