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Joint Research Management Office

Breadcrumb

  1. JRMO
  2. Performing research
  3. Conducting research with human participants (outside the NHS)
  4. Applications, amendments and closing studies

Applications, amendments and closing studies

Applying for review

  1. Access the QMEthics system. Log in using your QMUL username (3 letters 3 numbers) and password. 
  2. Complete the application form fully and accurately. Write your participant documentation based on the  and (for DDS-approved versions see below)
  3. Sign the application form. The lead applicant (who should also be the PI) will be prompted to sign the form. Students will be prompted to send a signature request to their supervisor. Research projects with an increased risk will be prompted to request a signature from their Head of Department. Please Note: Your application will be automatically submitted only when all signatures are in place. You will get an email notification letting you know this has taken place. If you are unsure of your application's status, you can check this by logging into QMEthics and clicking on the dropdown arrow for the relevant project. You may need to 'nudge' your supervisor or Head of Department that a signature is needed.
  4. Upon receipt of your application, the team will check it for completeness, any queries will be made through direct communication with the lead applicant, including suggestions to improve the application before the ethics review.
  5. A risk assessment will also be made by the team. This may lead to an update of your application. If your study is deemed a moderate risk, it will be allocated to the next available Panel Review meeting (there are deadlines for these meetings). Please see below for how risk affects the panel's review. 

Video training resources for the QMEthics system are available.

The following template documents have been converted into a format approved by both the Queen Mary Disability & Dyslexia Service (DDS) and the Institute of Dentistry:

UG/PGT student studies

Although undergraduate and taught postgraduate students are usually low risk,  it is not unusual for UGT and PGT projects to require review by QMERC and Review Panels. Where a UGT or PGT student research project is classified as high-risk following triage by the Research Ethics Team, the student and supervisor may be advised to consider modifying the project scope and design or to provide a robust justification of why the approach is justified.

Dates of Queen Mary Ethics of Research Committee meetings.

Higher risk research

Some studies can represent a higher risk to researchers, participants, or the University. This could include where vulnerable participants are involved in the research or the subject of the research could be deemed contentious. Such studies will require review by the Main Committee of QMERC. For a fuller discussion of risk see the page that deals with managing and levelling risks.

Block approval and devolved School REC (DSREC) review

Staff, Supervisors and Module Leaders can apply for block review and approval for a group of cognate research projects which are sufficiently similar and low-risk.

Block approval is a two-stage review; the first at the central QMERC level and the second, at an independent panel of ethical reviewers at faculty. department or module level, ensuring the study is low-risk, eligible to sit under the scope of the block approval and identifies and mitigates any ethical issues.

Applications for block approval will initially be screened by Facilitators and submitted to the next available Review Panel or a specially arranged Chairs Panel. For specific guidance on completing a QMERC research ethics application for block approval, or if you are unsure whether this review route is appropriate for your group of studies, or to request templates such as Terms of Reference for DSRECs, please see relevant contacts on the Departmental QMERC block approval advice [PDF 211KB]

Amendments

Should you need to make changes to your study after approval, please contact the Research Ethics team for guidance: research-ethics@qmul.ac.uk. Amendments are classified as either Major or Minor. The maximum number of Amendments per study is three major and three minor amendments, with exemptions only in exceptional circumstances

Unexpected Deviations

Please contact the Research Ethics team - research-ethics@qmul.ac.uk - in case of any unexpected events or deviations from the proposed protocol as per the original QMERC application.

End of Study notification

Please complete the End of Study Notification [DOC 52KB] within three months of the end of a study, and submit it by email to the Research Ethics team:     

Annual Progress Reporting

You should complete an Annual Progress Report [DOC 52KB] form on the 12-month anniversary of the QMERC’s approval letter and every year after that. Only applicable for studies with a duration of more than one year.  Please complete and submit by email to the Research Ethics team: research-ethics@qmul.ac.uk. 

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