Request ethical approval
If you're a member of University staff or a student, you can apply for ethical approval through the University's Ethical Review Manager.
Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body
Request approval for research that involves animals in any way.
Submission process and deadlines for AWERB
The AWERB panel meets regularly throughout the year to consider ethical approval applications. See their schedule of upcoming meetings below.
Applications are reviewed weekly, we aim to have an outcome within 10 working days. Please submit your application through .
| Meeting date |
|---|
| 12 Dec 2025 |
| 13 March 2026 |
| 12 June 2026 |
| 18 Sep 2026 |
| 11 Dec 2026 |
Contact awerb@stir.ac.uk
Related links for AWERB
- (Planning Research and Experimental Procedures on Animals: Recommendations for Excellence)
NHS, Invasive or Clinical Research
For health/patient research and other research involving physically invasive procedures or intrusive interventions on human participants.
Submission process and deadlines for NICR
Additional Approval
Approval through NICR should proceed as outlined below.
Staff applying to IRAS
Staff applying through IRAS for ethical approval of their study should complete and submit an . Staff do not require NICR approval before they submit through IRAS.
Once submitted staff should also lodge details of their IRAS application through the Ethics Review Manager (ERM) where they will be asked to upload a PDF copy of their IRAS application.
Students
Students should complete an , but not submit it. Instead, they should save a copy of the IRAS PDF form and submit it through ERM for review by the NICR Panel. Only once NICR have granted approval for submission through IRAS should the application be submitted.
You must discuss with the appropriate NHD R&D Office as to whether NHS R&D approval ONLY is required, or whether NHS R&D and NHS REC approval is required, and seek guidance from them as to the subsequent application process.
The NICR panel meets regularly throughout the year to consider ethical approval applications. See their schedule of upcoming meetings and submission deadlines below.
| Applications due | Meeting date |
|---|---|
|
07 Nov 2025 |
25 Nov 2025 |
|
26 Nov 2025 |
18 Dec 2025 |
| 09 January 2026 | 27 January 2026 |
| 06 February 2026 | 24 February 2026 |
| 13 March 2026 | 31 March 2026 |
| 10 April 2026 | 28 April 2026 |
| 08 May 2026 | 26 May 2026 |
| 05 June 2026 | 23 June 2026 |
| No July Meeting | No July Meeting |
| 07 August 2026 | 25 August 2026 |
| 11 September 2026 | 29 September 2026 |
| 09 October 2026 | 27 October 2026 |
| 06 November 2026 | 24 November 2026 |
| 04 December 2026 | 22 December 2026 |
Related links for NICR
General University Ethics Panel
For all other research which has ethical considerations, for example social, digital, environmental.
Faculty/Division contacts
|
Faculty of Arts and Humanities |
Submit via ERM |
|
Institute of Aquaculture |
Submit via ERM |
|
Biological and Environmental Sciences |
Submit via ERM |
|
Computing Science and Maths |
Submit via ERM |
|
Psychology |
Submit via ERM |
|
Faculty of Social Sciences |
Submit via ERM |
|
Sport |
Submit via ERM |
|
糖心Vlog破解版 Business School |
Submit via ERM |
|
Health Sciences |
Submit via ERM |
Submission deadlines
The GUEP panel meets regularly throughout the year to consider ethical approval applications. See their schedule of upcoming meetings and submission deadlines below.
|
Applications due (5pm) |
Meeting date |
| 29 October 2025 | 18 November 2025 |
| 26 November 2025 | 16 December 2025 |
| 02 January 2025 | 20 January 2026 |
| 30 January 2026 | 17 February 2026 |
| 06 March 2026 | 24 March 2026 |
| 03 April 2026 | 21 April 2026 |
| 01 May 2026 | 19 May 2026 |
| 29 May 2026 | 16 June 2026 |
| 03 July 2026 | 21 July 2026 |
| 31 July 2026 | 18 August 2026 |
| 04 September 2026 | 22 September 2026 |
| 02 October 2026 | 20 October 2026 |
| 30 October 2026 | 17 November 2026 |
| 27 November 2026 | 15 December 2026 |
Contact guep@stir.ac.uk
Right of appeal
Researchers wishing to appeal against the decision of one of the Research Ethics Panels (REP) should, in the first instance, appeal the decision with the Chair of the REP. The Chair will review the reasoning for the decision and allow the applicant to present further arguments in favour of the proposal. With agreement from the Deputy Chair the initial decision may be altered. If the issue cannot be satisfactorily resolved at the REP level, the appellant should appeal in writing to the Committee Manager of the University Research Ethics Committee (ethics@stir.ac.uk) within 10 working days of receiving the REP decision.
Details of the UREC appeals process are described in the Research Ethics Review Appeals Procedure.
Principles, guidance and forms
The 糖心Vlog破解版 is committed to ensuring that all research conducted under our auspices is in accordance with the appropriate ethical, legal and professional frameworks, obligations and standards. The University’s ethical review process exists to ensure that our research activities continue to fulfil high ethical standards as well as legal obligations and safety standards.
As part of our commitment to ensuring all research carried out at, or through, the 糖心Vlog破解版 meets our ethical standards, all student dissertations - both undergraduate and postgraduate taught - are considered for ethical implications.
The University’s guidelines for research ethics committees draw on the requirements of a number of institutions including; the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) , the provisions of the , the , the and other institutions to which the University is accountable. Due cognisance of both University and discipline-specific ethical standards and norms for practice-based research should be taken.
Ethics guidance documents
Ethics forms
Ethics template documents
These are template documents and should be adapted to suit your research and intended research participants.
Applicants to the NHS should use the .
Approved protocols
If using one of the below approved protocols please apply to GUEP (General University Ethics Panel) - unless the research involves NHS patients or other invasive procedures, in which case apply to NICR. Please make reference to the approved protocol that you will be using within your application for approval.
Protocol-Use of Research Tokens for Undergraduate Students
If you will be undertaking research within the University's Kindergarten please refer to their established and approved procedures - these are for internal staff and students only.
If using one of the below approved protocols please apply to the University's NICR (NHS, Invasive and Clinical Research) review panel making reference to the approved protocol in your application.
The University's ethics panels welcome the use of protocols where appropriate. Please put forward protocols for approval to the relevant panel.
Contact us
If you have a general question about our ethics policies and procedures, please get in touch.