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Protocol

The task, standpoints and procedures of the REC are further specified in the protocol of the REC.

When to apply for ethical assessment?

In the following situations, ethical assessment by the REC can be requested:

• If a funding agency requires ethical assessment, either before a proposal may be submitted, or after an application for funding has been granted;
• If a journal or publisher requires ethical assessment of research before a scientific paper may be submitted or published;
• If an institutional policy, such as a Research Data Management (RDM) policy, prescribes that ethical assessment is required;
• If a researcher has another reason to think that ethical assessment of intended research is necessary.
  • Typical types of research that can be tested by are eligible for ethical assessment are:
    • Research involving test subjects;
    • Research involving personal data;
    • Research of which the results might likely be misused.

In any case, ethical assessment only takes place before the research starts; the REC does not retroactively assess research. The assessment of research in the context of education (for instance, Master's theses) is not the principal task of the REC, but requests for such assessments may be taken into consideration if there is a convincing case.

How to apply for ethical assessment?

Applications for ethical assessment can be submitted to the secretary of the REC. An application consists of a filled-in application form and the attachments mentioned in the application form (data management plan (DMP), informed consent procedure, etc.). NB: prior to submitting an application with a DMP, the DMP has to receive feedback from the RDM. This can be done by clicking the ‘request feedback’ button in the DMP tool on the Research Information Services site.

When the secretary has received the application, the chair and the secretary determine whether application is complete and the research eligible for ethical assessment. If this is the case, the chair and the secretary will determine the appropriate evaluation procedure (abbreviated, regular or extended). More information about the different procedure can be found in the REC’s protocol.

Contact

Paul Deimann
Secretary of the REC
secretarisrec [at] science.ru.nl (secretarisrec[at]science[dot]ru[dot]nl)

Committee members

Frederik Zuiderveen Borgesius (professor ICT and Law, iCIS) chair
Simona Cristescu (associate professor Analytical Chemistry & Chemometrics, IMM) vice chair
Paul Deimann (privacy officer, Faculty Office) secretary
Daphne Jansen (information specialist Digital Competence Centre, ILS)
Bart Mennink (assistant professor digital security)
Rob Lenders (assistant professor, Environmental Science)
Marc van Wanrooij (assistant professor, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour)

Informed consent

For research with (data of) human participants, it is usually necessary to obtain and record their informed consent. On the RDM Support website information can be found concerning informed consent procedures. This website also contains recommendations about the content of informed consent forms and information brochures, including references to examples and formats.

Data management plan

The data management plan can be created using the DMP tool on the Research Information Services site. Various formats used by funding organisations are incorporated in this tool. NB: There is a ‘request feedback’ button in the DMP tool. Prior to submitting an application, the application has to receive feedback on the DMP by clicking this button. The final version can be exported using the tool and then added to the application.

Ethical assessment committees for medical research and research with animals

Research that falls under the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO) cannot be assessed by the REC, but needs to be assessed by an accredited Medical Research Ethics Committee. More information about whether research falls under the WMO can be found on the website of the  (CCMO).

Research with animals is assessed by the uu77 Animal Ethics Committee (RUDEC). Information on the RUDEC can be found on the .