FHMS Ethics Committee

What proposals do we review?

The FHMS Ethics Committee will consider applications for research ethics approval from BSc, MSc and PhD Taught students for any project proposing to use human participants, or involving issues requiring ethical advice.

Applications for PhD Research and staff should be sent directly to the University of Surrey Ethics Committee.

The committee will ensure that Faculty students are adhering to current ethical and research governance guidelines and will be able to advise Faculty staff and researchers on ethical issues.

Any experiment or procedure which falls within one or more of the following categories will be reviewed by the Faculty Ethics Committee for BSc, MSc or Clinical Doctorate Student projects:

• procedures involving any risk to a participant's health (for example intrusive or invasive physiological or psychological procedures);
• surveys and questionnaires, the nature of which might be offensive, distressing or deeply personal for the particular target group - if unsure please contact the Chair, FHMS Ethics Committee.
• proposals which involve financial payments or payments in kind to participants;
• proposals wishing to use undergraduate students as participants;
• proposals which investigate existing working or professional practices at the researcher's own place of work.

Investigators are also asked to note that research proposals involving any of the following MUST also be submitted to an NHS Research Ethics Committee for ethical review and favourable opinion before submission to the relevant University Ethics Committee, as research proposals which meet any of these criteria will not be considered until a favourable ethical opinion from the NHS REC, (or written confirmation that NHS opinion is not required), has been obtained:

• patients and users of the NHS. This includes all potential research participants recruited by virtue of the patient or user's past or present treatment by, or use by, the NHS. It includes NHS patients treated under contract with private sector institutions.
• individuals identified as potential research participants because of their status as relatives or carers of patients and users of the NHS, as detailed above.
• access to data, organs or other bodily material of past and present NHS patients.
• fetal material and IVF involving NHS patients.
• the recently dead in NHS premises.
• the use of, or potential access to, NHS premises or facilities.
• NHS staff recruited as research participants by virtue of their professional role.

How to apply

On the right, under "Forms and Guidelines", you will find links to documents to help you prepare your submission.  The key documents to read  "Ethical Guidelines" and "Preparation and Submission Guidelines" which tell you (the student) and your supervisor, what you should do to prepare prior to submission.  Once you have gathered all your documents complete the "Supervisor's Checklist".

Submission checklist

Please send all BSc/MSc/Taught Doctorate submissions to Mrs Marta Jenner in the 14AX01 Student Support Office (for hard copies) or M.Jenner@surrey.ac.uk (for electronic submissions) for review by the FHMS Ethics Committee.

Hard copies should be presented as single-sided, un-stapled documents, in a plastic wallet or folder if possible.

Documents required:

• Supervisor Checklist
• Protocol Cover Sheet (including the proposal title and all relevant signatures)
• Summary of the project - aims and objectives
• Detailed Protocol (including any appendices)
• Participant Information Sheet, on University headed paper (please see the outline in the Guidelines document)
• Participant consent form
• Protocol submission proforma
• Zurich Insurance Letter

N.B: All data collected must be stored securely on University of Surrey premises for 10 years.  Please make sure this is highlighted within your detailed protocol.