The responsible conduct of research at UCT is supported through university-wide and faculty-specific policies, senate-level committees, and faculty-level research ethics committees (RECs):

• The RECs take responsibility for the review and oversight of research projects that engage with research participants through interactions and/or interventions, and/or use individually identifiable data about living individuals.
• Their work is shaped by core principles of justice, beneficence, and respect.
• RECs typically require detailed protocol information relating to:
  • the reasonableness and minimisation of risks  
  • the balancing of risks and benefits associated with participation
  • assurance as to the equitable representation of persons, and
  • support for the voluntarism associated with ethics research.
• RECs also undertake special scrutiny of research that engages with vulnerable populations including, among others:
  • children
  • pregnant women and foetuses
  • prisoners
  • migrants, and
  • people who are cognitively impaired.
• Faculty-level animal ethics committees (AECs) provide similar oversight for animal welfare and well-being in research projects ranging from laboratory research to wildlife-field studies.

Statement by the Senate Ethics in Research Committee on the review of Health Research

1. All research conducted at the University of Cape Town (UCT), whether by academic or PASS staff members or students (both undergraduate and postgraduate), and post-doctoral fellows (hereafter: UCT community), which meets the definition of health research, must undergo review by a UCT research ethics committee (REC) registered with the National Health Research Ethics Council (NHREC).
2. The review of health research must be done before any research activities (such as interviews or data collection) commence. Retrospective approval will not be granted.
3. No health research may be conducted until written approval from an NHREC registered REC has been received.

UCT has 2 committees registered with the NHREC able to review Health Research:

1. The Faculty of Health Sciences Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), based in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS). Any research conducted by staff and students based in the FHS must be reviewed and approved by the HREC. Further information regarding their processes is available on their website, or via email to: hrec-enquiries@uct.ac.za.
2. The Inter-Faculty Human Research Ethics Committee (IFHREC), serviced by the Office of Research Integrity. All staff and students who plan to conduct health research (as per the definition) and who are based in the Faculties of Commerce, Engineering and the Built Environment, Humanities and Law; the Centre for Higher Education and Development and the Graduate School of Business must submit their applications to the IFHREC. This includes staff in PASS departments who may be conducting health research. Further information regarding their processes is available on their website, or via email to: ifhrec.enquiries@uct.ac.za.

If there is in any doubt as to whether research constitutes health research, then a researcher must use the screening tool developed by the EiRC to determine which committee is most appropriate to review the proposed research. This tool may be accessed here.

 Please note: this tool is currently being used as a pilot. If you have feedback or comments please send them to the Office of Research Integrity.