Frequently asked questions
- Can my research be published without ethical approval?
- If my study involves the use of ionising radiation or participants who lack capacity can I apply for ethics review through the RGIT/ICREC/SETREC?
- Is CE marking valid post Brexit?
- How do I know if my study needs to be approved by the RGIT/ICREC /SETREC/EERP?
- Can I obtain Imperial College ethics review if the intellectual property will not be owned by Imperial College?
- My research is being conducted on animals. Do I still need to gain approval from the ICREC/SETREC?
- Can I use the Imperial College Healthcare Tissue bank when I want to collect tissue samples from healthy Imperial College staff and students?
- Who can I contact if I have a query regarding the ethics application?
- My study involves genetically modified materials, is there additional paperwork to complete?
To publish any research findings in the UK there needs to be ethics approval from an ethics review body.
The College's authorship guidelines can be found at guidelines for authorship.
No. For UK studies which involve ionising radiation or the recruitment of participants who lack capacity you will need to go via the IRAS process. For more information about ethics review for ionising radiation and for more information on ethics review for participants who lack capacity.
The government has put in place legislation to extend acceptance of CE marked devices in Great Britain beyond 30 June 2023. For more information on regulating medical devices.
Take a look at our process map of Routes to ethics review (pdf) to see the routes to ethical approval for health-related research projects.
No. To obtain Imperial College ethics review the College must own at least part of the IP. Please see the Intellectual Property policy (College login) for more information.
No, ICREC and SETREC do not consider animal-related research projects. Research involving animals can be reviewed by AWERB (Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body). Visit the Regulation and oversight of animal research for more infomation.
Studies where the only research being undertaken at Imperial is tissue collection (e.g. collecting biopsies, blood only), ethics review may be obtained from the Imperial College Healthcare Tissue Bank, who has been delegated authority from the Research Ethics Committee (REC) to approve this type of project SOP for consenting healthy volunteers. In this scenario, the project would utilise the Tissue Bank approved consent materials.
If your project involves the above, it is necessary to submit a Worktribe application for a low-risk review as a requirement for the Tissue Bank registration process.
More information regarding the Imperial College Healthcare Tissue Bank can be found here Tissue Bank.
Please contact the Ethics and Research Governance Coordinator to discuss your queries.
Yes, please complete Genetically Modified Materials [Word].
