Ethics applications: IOE staff

Information for applications reviewed by the IOE Research Ethics Committee (REC).

    IOE REC office operations over the Christmas period

    Please note the IOE REC office will not be able to offer its usual service during the Christmas holiday period. This is due to extremely limited reviewer availability over this time. From Wednesday 11 December 2024 (5pm) until Monday 6 January 2025, ethics applications may be submitted but will not be allocated for review. We advise applicants to carefully plan any upcoming research and contact the IOE REC office before the end of November to limit any potential disruption to their work.

    Staff ethics guidance

    All research activities which collect or use data from human participants including secondary data analysis, systematic reviews and pilot studies, are required to gain ethical approval before data collection begins regardless of whether your research is funded or self-funded.

    Ethics review applications

    1. Please complete your staff ethics application form for review by the IOE Research Ethics Committee.

      staff-research-ethics-application-form_march_2024.docx

    2. Then submit using this MS Form:

    Submit ethics application

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    Expedited review

    Expedited review (full ethics review that is conducted quickly and at short notice) may be granted in exceptional circumstances. Our definition draws on UKRI, ESRC and UCL material on what can be considered for expedited review. The PI must firstly gain permission for an expedited review by making it clear in an email to the IOE Research Ethics Office at ioe.researchethics@ucl.ac.uk on how they meet the following:

    • Access to a sample that is time-related.
    • A short lead time due to the circumstances of a particular funding framework.
    • Fieldwork is linked to a particular event or period.

    And these have been caused by external drivers which are outside the control of the researcher.

    Please note expedited reviews will not be offered for:

    • circumstances that are foreseeable or preventable 
    • claims that the applicant was unaware of the ethics application submission process and/or associated review timelines.

    This request for permission will normally be reviewed by the IOE REC Chair, and the response given within one to two working days. If permission is not granted, then the usual standard review timeframe will be followed.

    We understand that applicants and reviewers are working within competing work commitments. Please note that expedited reviews are reserved for the above situations to limit undue pressure on applicants, reviewers and the IOE REC office.

    Ethics application processing timeframe:

    • Expedited review – 15 working days.
    • Standard review – 30 working days.

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    Projects previously approved by external institutions

    For those seeking IOE approval or recording for a project that received ethical approval elsewhere, please complete sections 1, 9 and 10 of the ethics form. Please, send the completed form, all documents supplied to the external research institution, and the copy of the approval letter issued by the external research ethics committee to ioe.researchethics@ucl.ac.uk. 

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    Amendments to approved projects

    For those who are seeking amendments to projects previously approved by the IOE Research Ethics Committee:

    1. Please complete this amendment form for review by the IOE Research Ethics Committee:

      amendment_form_20241024.docx

    2. And email the form and requested documents, including updated ethics application, and participant information sheets, consent forms and recruitment adverts where applicable to ioe.researchethics@ucl.ac.uk.

    There will be a triage system according to the criteria (to establish whether it needs to be reviewed by the Chair of the Committee or whether it requires a full ethics review.

    Please note the processing time for such requests is the same as the ethics application review timeframes.

    amendments_triage_system.pdf

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    Escalation to UCL Research Ethics Committee

    There are particular circumstances when the IOE Research Ethics Office would deem a research ethics application high risk and needs to be sent to the UCL Research Ethics Committee for review. We would notify the PI and indicate the process to be followed. IOE researchers should not send any research ethics applications to the UCL Research Ethics Committee themselves.

    In accordance with UCL Research Ethics Guidance, IOE research is considered high risk when a research ethics application concerns:

    • NHS patients and/or staff or HM Prison and Probation Services staff and/or inmates.
    • Security-sensitive topic matters such as military, security, intelligence, needing Security clearance, terrorist or extremist groups, dark web.
    • Locations of study within a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Amber or Red zone.
    • Deception, involving actively misinforming participants what their participation entails or the true purpose of the research.
    • Covert methods, including actively hiding data collection from participant(s), where the participant(s) would otherwise have a reasonable expectation of privacy (applies both in person and online).
    • Research into urgent mental health risks.
    • Disclosure of harmful/illegal activities.
    • Risk of physical harm.
    • Participants engage in breaking the law.
    • Drugs, placebos or other substances to be administered to the participants.
    • Financial incentives are given to take risks (other than to reimburse travel expenses or giving reasonable value vouchers to thank participation).

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    Research misconduct procedure

    In the event a complaint or allegation of misconduct regarding an IOE research project is submitted to the Chair of the IOE Research Ethics Committee (REC), in line with UCL's Procedure for investigating and resolving allegations of misconduct in academic research (please see section A6 of the procedure). 
     
    IOE procedures for investigating and resolving research misconduct allegations are laid out in the IOE Research Misconduct Policy.

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