Ethics and bids for external funding

To support a bid for external funding for a research project involving human participants, some funders may require one of the following:

1. Evidence that the OU has a comprehensive ethics review process

The following text can be used to outline the OU research ethics process:

Research at the Open University is supported by a structured governance framework to ensure that high ethical standards are maintained. Any research involving the collection of data or biological samples from human participants must be reviewed by the OU Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). OU researchers should adhere to the following principles and policies when conducting their research:

Ethics Principles for Research with Human Participants
OU Research Code of Practice
The Concordat to Support Research Integrity

2. For the research proposal associated with the bid to have a provisional research ethics review

If the funder requires a provisional ethics review, please complete the ethics project application in the Research Ethics Application System. You will need to attach your bid proposal to your application.The HREC chairing team will review these documents (which can take up to seven working days) and once your proposal has received a provisional favourable opinion, the following text can be used in the funding bid:The HREC chairing team will review these documents (which can take up to seven working days) and once your proposal has received a provisional favourable opinion, the following text can be used in the funding bid:

Research at The Open University is supported by a structured governance framework to ensure that high ethical standards are maintained. Any research involving the collection of data or biological samples from human participants must be reviewed by the OU Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). OU researchers should adhere to the following principles and policies when conducting their research:

Ethics Principles for Research with Human Participants
OU Research Code of Practice
The Concordat to Support Research Integrity

The outline proposal for this research has received a favourable opinion from the HREC. If funding is awarded, the HREC will be contacted so an assessment can be made, to determine whether a full ethics review will be required.

3. Research funded by any of the seven councils of UK Research and Innovation

UKRI does not grant formal ethical clearance for research projects as part of its grant approval processes. Responsibility for detailed ethical scrutiny and approval lies with the relevant organisation undertaking the research…

However, the information provided by applicants about potential ethical issues and how they will be handled and mitigated throughout the research process is considered within UKRI’s peer review and assessment processes…

Standard terms and conditions for UKRI FEC grants (paragraph 3.1.1) require that applicants identify ethical issues relating to their project and bring them to the attention of the relevant review or regulatory body, securing approval before any work requiring approval begins.
(Source: UKRI)

UKRI presents a position statement which includes a set of ethical principles. These overarch the ethical guidance for all UKRI councils. They do not replace ethics guidance and frameworks produced by individual UKRI councils where more detailed remit- and discipline-specific information should be located, from the relevant UKRI council page.

It may be useful to add the following paragraph to the bid:

Open University research ethics procedures are fully compliant with the UKRI principles for ethical research and the ethics guidance of [name of research council]. If funding is awarded, this research proposal will be reviewed by the OU Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) to determine whether a full ethics review is required. The Principal Investigator will ensure that the ethics review has taken place, and favourable opinion has been granted, before any research involving human participants commences.

The proposal must include a consideration of the possible ethics implications of the research project and how these will be addressed.

After funding is awarded

When a bid for funding for a research project involving human participants is successful, the Primary Investigator should follow the HREC ethics review process, to determine whether a full ethics review will be required.