Research Ethics Committee (REC)
The Research Ethics Committee (REC) was first established in 2001 to promote ethical research in UCD and to establish the UCD Research Ethics Approval System (2004). The principal objective was, and still is, to promote the ethical use of human and animal subjects in research throughout UCD in accordance with internationally accepted ethical norms that focus on the rights and welfare of the study participants.
The key objective of the REC is to define the standards required for the professional conduct of all research within UCD. The Committee is required to review funded and non-funded research projects and any other research activity for which an ethics review may be required. It may also undertake research on matters pertaining to ethics at the request of the UCD Governing Authority, the Academic Council, the Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact, or initiate research itself.
The REC establishes, monitors and reviews the procedures for the ethical assessment of research which involves animal research, human participants and materials/data derived from human participants, which is to be carried out within UCD and/or are to be undertaken by staff or students of the university elsewhere, except where such research has been or will be assessed by a research ethics committee from within recognised hospitals and the Health Service Executive with the Department of Health.
For a visual representation of the REC in UCD please see the REC Organigram.