NHS, Invasive or Clinical Research
The NHS, Invasive or Clinical Research Panel (NICR) considers any health/patient research requiring approval by the NHS Research Ethics Committee and/or taking place with NHS staff, patients or on NHS premises.
It also deals with any health/patient research taking place in health service settings in other countries, and all research involving physically invasive procedures or intrusive interventions on human participants.
More information
Research requiring approval from the NICR panel includes, but is not restricted to:
- ALL research involving NHS patients, NHS staff or taking place in NHS sites which requires NHS R and D approval
- Research in health care settings in other countries
- Clinical trial of an investigational medicinal product
- Clinical investigation or other study of a medical device
- Combined trial of an investigational medicinal product and an investigational medical device
- Other clinical trial to study a health related intervention or randomised clinical trial to compare interventions in health and social care practice
- Study limited to working with human tissue samples (or other human biological samples) and data (specific project only) or Research tissue bank
- Basic science study involving procedures with human participants:
- Imaging investigations (MRI, ultrasound etc.)
- Physical examinations (blood pressure, Pulse, Respiratory rate etc., max strength tests
- Physical tests. (EEG, ECG, EMG, BioPAC etc.) If using EEG, BioPAC, fNIRS and following the University of Stirling’s approved protocol you may be able to apply to GUEP.
- Computer tests where there are potential health consequences e.g. dementia, sleep apnoea, depression tests
- Filming or photography (as part of a health research study or in a health setting/context)
- Sample-taking urine, blood, hair, muscle biopsy
- Ingestion of substances, fluids or alcohol
- Questionnaires, surveys or interviews/focus groups with sensitive questions with implications for health (e.g. depression, mental health etc)
Information for University staff and students
Request ethical approval from the NHS, Invasive or Clinical Research committee
Approval through NICR should proceed as outlined below:
Staff applying to IRAS
Staff applying through IRAS for ethical approval of their study should complete and submit an IRAS application form. Staff do not require NICR approval before they submit through IRAS.
Once submitted staff should also lodge details of their IRAS application through the Ethics Review Manager (ERM) where they will be asked to upload a PDF copy of their IRAS application.
Students applying to IRAS
Students should complete an IRAS application form, but not submit it. Instead, they should save a copy of the IRAS PDF form and submit it through ERM for review by the NICR Panel. Only once NICR have granted approval for submission through IRAS should the application be submitted.
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.
Staff and Students NHS Indemnity Letters
As well as NHS REC approval through the IRAS system applicants are also required to confirm the sponsor for your project and provide proof of indemnity cover as part of your application. Letters confirming both sponsorship and indemnity will be provided by Research and Innovation Services.
The process for obtaining letters:
- Download the Sponsorship form
- Complete and sign the Sponsorship form - then gather all the additional signatures required (electronic signatures are acceptable):
- University of Stirling supervisor (if applicable)
- Dean of Faculty
- Email the fully signed form, copying in all signatories as an audit trail, to the Research Integrity and Governance Manager ethics@stir.ac.uk.
- On IRAS add the Research Integrity and Governance Manager's details as sponsor representative (Qs A4 and A64)
- The Research Integrity and Governance Manager will then issue you with a letter confirming sponsorship and a letter confirming indemnity cover.
- Once your IRAS form is complete and has been signed off by the Chief Investigator and supervisor (as applicable) request authorisation from the sponsor representative.
Please allow time for this process as both letters will only be issued once the above process has been completed. In addition, indemnity letters may not be issued immediately as any high risk topics (e.g. pregnant women or small children) may require confirmation from the University insurer that the project will be covered.
Panel meetings
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 |
Meeting date |
25 Oct 2021 |
09 Nov 2021 |
29 Nov 2021 |
14 Dec 2021 |
10 Jan 2022 |
25 Jan 2022 |
07 Feb 2022 |
22 Feb 2022 |
07 Mar 2022 |
22 Mar 2022 |
11 Apr 2022 |
26 Apr 2022 |
09 May 2022 |
24 May 2022 |
13 Jun 2022 |
28 Jun 2022 |
No July Meeting |
No July Meeting |
08 Aug 2022 |
23 Aug 2022 |
05 Sept 2022 |
20 Sept 2022 |
03 Oct 2022 |
18 Oct 2022 |
31 Oct 2022 |
15 Nov 2022 |
28 Nov 2022 |
13 Dec 2022 |
NICR Panel membership
Name | Representing |
---|---|
Steven Waters | Lay Chair |
Carol Bugge | Co-Deputy Chair |
Gozde Ozakinci | Co-Deputy Chair |
Niels Vollaard | Health Sciences and Sport |
Thomas Di Virgilio | Health Sciences and Sport |
Nicola Cunningham | Health Sciences and Sport |
Allison Ford | Health Sciences and Sport |
Douglas Eadie | Health Sciences and Sport |
Nidia Rodriguez-Sanchez | Health Sciences and Sport |
Andrea Sinesi | Health Sciences and Sport |
Barbara Farquharson | Health Sciences and Sport |
Jason Tang | Health Sciences and Sport |
Paul Rigby | Social Sciences |
Karen Berry | Social Sciences |
Sandra Engstrom | Social Sciences |
Sinead Currie | Natural Sciences |
Benjamin Dering | Natural Sciences |
William Clark | Lay Member |
Stuart Hislop | Lay Member |
Contact NICR
Get in touch with the NHS, Invasive or Clinical Research Committee.