About

The remit of the University Research Ethics Committee (UREC) is to oversee all research ethics matters concerning research conducted by Brunel University staff and students which involves human participants, their tissue, and their data.  Research ethics is devolved to the three Colleges, each of which has their own research ethics committee. The College Research Ethics Committees are accountable to the UREC.  

Matters relating to human tissue and compliance with the Human Tissue Act are the remit of the Human Tissue Act Compliance Sub-Committee.

Matters involving the use of animals in scientific research, compliance with Home Office Regulations and the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are the remit of the Animals Research Ethics Sub-Committee. The University endorses the ARRIVE (Animal Research: In Vivo Experiments) guidelines and is committed to the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research policy.

The University has a Federal-wide Assurance and the Committee sits as an Institutional Review Board to approve research using human participants which is to be funded by a United States Department of State or Federal agency.

The University subscribes to and conforms with the principles of the Research Councils UK Concordat to Support the Development of Researchers, and the Universities UK Concordat to Support Research Integrity.

The UREC is chaired by Professor Christina Victor; the secretary is Ms. Kate Dunbar.  They can be contacted by e-mailing res-ethics@brunel.ac.uk.