College Research Ethics & Integrity Committee Remit
The College Research Ethics & Integrity Committee (CREIC) acts in partnership with the College Research Office. It brings together academic and professional staff to discuss pertinent issues and share best practice amongst the Schools. The Chair of the RE&I Committee is the College Dean of Research Culture and REF. Each School is represented by an Ethics Officer and an Integrity Officer. The role of the committee is to oversee and promote the highest standards of research ethics and integrity across the College including but not limited to research misconduct cases. The Committee is responsible for advising the University of Edinburgh's Research Ethics & Integrity Group on the development, implementation and review of strategic procedures and guidelines relating to research ethics, integrity and misconduct.
Aims
1. Maintain and improve the highest standards of rigour and integrity in all aspects of research and research-related learning and teaching and to review progress regularly.2. Assure that research is conducted according to appropriate ethical, legal and professional frameworks, obligations and standards and in line with the University commitment to the Concordat to Support Research Integrity.3. Facilitate an academic environment that is underpinned by a culture of integrity and based on good governance, best practice, and conducive to the development of researchers.4. Support open discussion of research integrity and investigate issues of research misconduct.Remit
- To review periodically its own remit within the context of the University's overarching remit and recommend any changes to the remit to the College for approval.
- To advocate for staff ethics and integrity training across the College.
- To consider and respond to any relevant documentation or issues requested by University committees.
- To receive reports from other College Committees, as appropriate.
- To convey guidance and advice to Schools/Centres.
- To advise Schools on the development of policies and guidelines relating to research, and research-related teaching ethics.
- To advise Schools on the development, publication and review of criteria to be applied to research sponsorship.
- To promote and monitor good practice relating to ethical considerations and maintaining academic integrity across the College.
- To monitor academic ethical practice within the College, providing advice to the School Ethics Committees on ethical issues and receiving minutes and annual reports from the Ethics Committees where appropriate.
- To discuss and resolve misconduct cases.
- To formulate College-wide responses to national and international developments relating to teaching and research ethics.
Governance
The College Research Ethics & Integrity Committee (RE&IC) is associated with the University's Research Ethics and Integrity Review Group (REIRG). It is convened by the Dean of Research Culture and REF. Actions agreed at RE&I are implemented by the Committee and reported to REIRG as appropriate. Information is transmitted through the publication of minutes on a SharePoint site, available to approved participants and, as appropriate, through direct communication with relevant staff. The RE&IC will report to the Dean of Research through the College Research Office.
Operation
College Research Ethics & Integrity (RE&IC) Committee meets in person two times a year. Extra meetings can be convened as required by the Committee. Business can also be conducted electronically between meetings if required and deemed appropriate by the convenors. It does not have any standing sub-committees to undertake elements of the remit but will identify and approve individuals/ teams to take on specific cases, utilising expertise of the CSE Research Office where appropriate. All schools should be represented. Suitable deputies might be the Deputy DoR or REC member. Agendas, minutes and papers will be published on SharePoint as appropriate but information and data will be redacted, where appropriate, to maintain compliance with GDPR.