Apply to UCL's Research Ethics Committees

Research ethics applications can be submitted for review through UCL's high- and low-risk routes. Find out how to apply for ethical approval at UCL.

Application routes

High-risk applications

All high-risk research ethics applications should be submitted via the ethics@ucl system for review. Institute of Education (IOE) applicants should contact the IOE Research Ethics Office at ioe.researchethics@ucl.ac.uk in the first instance.

Low-risk applications

Low-risk applications from UCL staff and students should be submitted centrally to our Research Ethics team via the ethics@ucl system. Applicants based in faculties or departments with a Local Research Ethics Committee (LREC) should submit their application as follows:

• LRECs moving to the ethics@ucl system in Phase 1 should indicate which route applicants should use. Phase 1 LRECs are the Institute of Risk and Disaster Reduction; Psychology and Language Sciences; Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering; and School of Management
• LRECs moving to the ethics@ucl system in Phase 2 should indicate which route applicants should use. Phase 2 LRECs are Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy; Computer Science; Institute for Women's Health; Laws; Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering; School of Planning; Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, School of Pharmacy, Institute of Health Informatics and Institute for Global Prosperity 
• Applications via all other LRECs should continue using existing local review processes.

Applications submitted before the roll-out of ethics@ucl will continue to be processed outside of the system. As per your approval letter, amendments to existing approvals and details of adverse events should be sent to ethics@ucl.ac.uk or your local committee. Visit our Responsibilities after approval page for more information.

Application process

Follow the steps below to submit high- and low-risk applications to our Research Ethics Service. If your department or faculty has an LREC to review low-risk applications, check local arrangements before starting an application. If you cannot submit your application through ethics@ucl, contact us via email at ethics@ucl.ac.uk. 

1. Is your project is classed as high- or low-risk

High-risk projects

Applications involving the following would be considered 'high-risk':

• Vulnerable participants
• Sensitivity
• Consent, deception, or covert research
• Disclosures
• Security sensitive materials
• Risk to researcher wellbeing
• Administration of substances
• Invasive procedures

Read our high-risk checklist for more information about these risk categories and examples.

If your project is high-risk, you will need to complete and submit your application in the ethics@ucl system. Your application will be sent to the relevant Research Ethics Committee for review. The application deadline and meeting dates can be found below.

Low-risk projects

Applications for research projects not involving any of the above high-risk elements can be reviewed as 'low-risk' and should be submitted using the low-risk application form. Low-risk applications submitted to our Research Ethics team are reviewed on a rolling basis, with no fixed submission deadlines. 

Your department or faculty may have an LREC to review and approve low-risk applications. Check your local arrangements before submitting an ethics application.

2. Register with the UCL Data Protection Office (if required)

Any research involving the processing of personal data (information related to an identifiable individual) needs to be registered with the UCL Data Protection Office (DPO) before applying for ethical review. You should update your application if the DPO advises you to make any changes to your data collection and storage arrangements.

UCL staff and students can register their research using the online form on the DPO website. If you cannot access or use the form, email data-protection@ucl.ac.uk. After review, the DPO will issue a data protection registration number. Quote this number in the appropriate section of your ethics application form to show the project has been registered with the DPO. Your data protection registration number is different to your ethics application number. 
 
If the registration process exceeds the advertised 10 days, submit your ethics application form, marking the sections relating to data protection registration as ‘to follow’ or ‘registration in progress’. Once available, share the Research Ethics Service with your data protection registration number alongside any changes advised by the DPO.
 
Data collection cannot commence until you have ethical approval and your research is registered with the DPO (if required).

3. Carry out a risk assessment

To determine any risks associated with your research, i.e., risks to yourself as the researcher and those you are researching, you will need to carry out a risk assessment.

It is a legal requirement that all research is assessed for risk. Refer to your department's local arrangements for risk assessments and UCL Safety Services guidance on how to carry out a risk assessment. The guidance includes instructions on how to conduct a risk assessment and who should approve it. 

For further advice, contact the UCL Safety Services team at safety@ucl.ac.uk.

4. Accessing ethics@ucl

To access the applicant portal, visit ethics.ucl.ac.uk and log in using your UCL Single Sign-on details. A Desktop@UCL or VPN connection is not required. Supervisors should access the system to view and sign student forms.

If you are a new user, we recommend visiting our Using ethics@ucl page before using the system.

Should you have any questions about ethics@ucl not covered by the guidance above, e-mail ethics@ucl.ac.uk or join one of our drop-in sessions. 

5. Complete the application form

The dynamic application form adjusts questions based on your responses. The full form is only visible after completing sections A and B, with follow-up questions appearing as you progress through the form. Changing an answer to an initial question may result in lost responses.

Tips for navigating the application form and submission process

1. Start your application: select 'Introduction and Instructions’
2. Guidance and resources: select the information icons next to each question for tips and useful resources 
3. Complete mandatory questions: Most questions are mandatory and need to be completed before you can submit the form. Optional questions are highlighted 
4. Access help: find templates and frequently asked questions under the 'Help' tab in the top navigation menu
5. Return to overview screen: Select ‘Navigate’ in the left-hand-side menu
6. Share with UCL collaborators: Select ‘Share’ in the left-hand-side menu to share with your UCL collaborator(s). Enter their UCL email address and grant full access
7. Share with external collaborators: Select ‘View as PDF’ in the left-hand-side menu to save the form as a PDF. Only answered questions will be included
8. Save progress: You can save the application and return to it at any time. Progress is automatically saved when you select 'Next page'
9. Post-submission changes: After submission, further changes can only be made if requested by a reviewer or supervisor.

6. Attach supporting documents

Your application will need to include a full description of planned activities, recruitment approach, consideration of potential ethical issues, and supporting documents (e.g., participant information sheets, consent forms, interview questions, and survey tools). Incomplete applications will be returned for revision and resubmission. 

Participant recruitment documents

All studies involving participant recruitment need to use documents such as information sheets and consent forms. For guidance, visit our Producing Participant Recruitment Documents page and review the annotated template forms below:

• Template consent form (Word)
• Template patient information leaflet (Word)

7. Formal sponsorship review for clinical trials conducted in developing countries

Interventional studies in developing countries, i.e., a drug, device, or surgery trial, need to be registered in UCL's Interventional Clinical Trials Portal. You need to request an Entry Questionnaire (EQ) and email this to ucl.trials.portal@ucl.ac.uk, copying in ethics@ucl.ac.uk.

Once received, the UCL Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology (ICTM) Portal Review Group will discuss your EQ and send information next steps. Questions regarding the portal should be sent to ucl.trials.portal@ucl.ac.uk.

8. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks

A criminal record check is required for research in England and Wales involving 'Regulated' activity with vulnerable groups (Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006) or positions of trust (Rehabilitation of Offenders Act Exception Order 1975). For more information, visit the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) applications page on the UCL Students website.

Action required by researchers

UCL researchers requiring DBS clearance should:

• Take action promptly, as it can take over a month to arrange and complete the check
• Clearance is needed before entering a position of trust
• Quote your DBS Disclosure Number in section A2 of the application form.

Action required by students

Current students or those who have applied for a place on a programme at UCL that needs DBS clearance should:

• Visit the UCL Student Centre to have their DBS form checked and authorised
• Email studentrecords@ucl.ac.uk for initial information.

Action required by staff

Staff who need a DBS check as part of their work (e.g., for a research project) should:

• Contact the Employment Contracts Administration of Human Resources at HR.ECA@ucl.ac.uk to request a form and determine the level of certification required
• Collect the DBS form in person from HR once a decision is made.

As per the UCL DBS Checks and Criminal Convictions Policy, "UCL will accept portability of DBS checks, which individuals may have from previous employers, as proof of satisfactory clearance" under certain conditions. See Section 3.15 of the Policy for details. 

DBS checks are not applicable for research conducted outside England and Wales (e.g., overseas or in Scotland/Northern Ireland). Students conducting research outside of England and Wales should investigate obtaining a police check for the relevant country.

Where to find DBS requirement advice

The GOV.UK website provides information on how to obtain different police checks. While it is not always possible in some countries, students should make every effort to obtain them. Further information about Scottish police checks is available on mygov.scot and Northern Irish police checks on nidirect.gov.

• GOV.UK website Criminal records checks for overseas applicants
• Scotland Criminal Records Checks
• Northern Ireland Criminal Records Checks

For advice on whether you require a DBS, student researchers should email srs-compliance@ucl.ac.uk. Staff researchers should email hr-services@ucl.ac.uk.  

9. Insurance

Research involving any of the below elements or people requires confirmation of insurance coverage from the UCL insurance manager. Please confirm that you have reviewed this list and select the applicable response:

• Children under 5 (excluding pure questionnaire-based)
• Pregnant women (excluding pure questionnaire-based)
• Vulnerable adults: A person in need of special care, support, or protection, they’re unable to look after and protect themselves from harm or exploitation
• Dangerous environments: Areas where the FCDO advises against travel or locations where medical assistance or repatriation is limited, and also research taking place in prisons or on airfields
• Any project which would be classed as invasive: A study in which the participants will have a medical procedure that enters the body; this does however, excludes straightforward blood taking
• Significant overseas stays over 12 months
• Invasive Medical Device/Product
• US Exposure: Studies carried out in North America, or if participants are based there.

10. Travel insurance for students conducting research overseas

Students conducting research overseas need to complete an application form to receive an insurance cover note. For more information and guidance, visit the Travel on UCL business website.

11. Declarations, signatures and submission

At the end of the application, a completeness check will highlight any unanswered mandatory questions. These questions need to be completed before the form can be signed and submitted.

Applicants will need to complete a declaration confirming they have read and understood the requirements before submitting the form. Additionally, a signature will be required, depending on the type of application and associated risks.

Signature requirements for high-risk applications

Signature requirements for high-risk research ethics applications

Application type	Application signature	Supervisor signature	Department signature*
Undergraduate	No	Yes	Yes
Masters	No	Yes	Yes
PhD	No	Yes	Yes
Staff	Yes	No	Yes

Signature requirements for low-risk applications

Signature requirements for low-risk research ethics applications

Application type	Application signature	Supervisor signature	Department signature*
Undergraduate	Yes	Yes	No
Masters	Yes	Yes	No
PhD	Yes	Yes	No
Staff	Yes	No	No

* Ethics Committee, Ethics Lead, or Head of Department

12. Review feedback

After your application has been reviewed, you will receive an email with reviewer feedback and next steps. Your application will be unlocked, allowing you to make edits based on the feedback and to re-sign and resubmit your form. 

For guidance on responding to reviewer comments, visit our Guidance, training and resources pages.

13. Responsibilities after approval

The Principal Investigator is expected to report any proposed changes or adverse events, and if required, report on progress at least annually. Visit our Responsibilities after ethical approval page for more information.

Application deadlines and committee meeting dates

Low-risk applications: There are no fixed submission deadlines for low-risk applications. We review submissions on a rolling basis and aim to return initial feedback within 20 working days. During peak submission periods (March-July), turnaround time may be extended. We advise submitting your low-risk applications for review as soon as possible and encourage all applicants to allow sufficient time to obtain approval when planning data collection.

High-risk applications: There are no research ethics committee meetings in December or August. High-risk applications received after the November and July meeting deadlines will be reviewed in January or September, respectively.

2024/25 and 2025/26