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Research Ethics

Instructions to Applicants

Log on to UWIScholar via https://UWIScholar.sta.uwi.edu/. (The St Augustine Campus is the host for the UWIScholar and Research Ethics Electronic Application system for all of The UWI.) Please follow the steps using your Open Campus email address.

  1. Students: Using your UWI assigned email address, register for your UWI Scholar Account by following the steps outlined in the video found at the link provided here. Please note that the registration process may take up to 24 hours for processing;
  2. Staff: Enter staff email address as username and click "forgot password" to set your password.
  3. Select and complete the form titled: Application for Ethical Approval - OC.
  4. *NEW Forms to be used from October 25, 2020
  5. Click the following link- Applicant Manual for detailed information.

Please note: Applications should be submitted using Principal Investigator UWIScholar profiles. If the Investigator is a student, the Cover Page of the research proposal must also include the name of the Supervisor and the Supervisor’s signature indicating support of the Project and uploaded as supporting documentation.

 

 

Procedure for Review

  • After submission of applications an initial review will be conducted to determine the category of review: Full, Expedited, Exemption and Waiver
  • Exemptions(Human Subject) and Waivers (Non-Human Subject Research)
    1. These applications will be processed as submitted (daily) - average processing time is 1 week
    2. See The UWI Policy and Procedures document for more information on applications that meet criteria for Exemption  
    3. Please note that for applications that may meet the criteria for Waiver of Review impact on human subjects, animals and the environment will be considered and may require the application to receive more detailed review by the Committee.
  • Full and Expedited Reviews will be conducted on a monthly cycle.
    1. Applications are received on a rolling basis.
    2. Expedited applications average processing time is 2 weeks after submission.
    3. Full Review applications require full committee review.
    4. Please note there is no review cycle for December. 
  • Revised and Resubmitted applications average processing time is 2 week, unless full committee review is required of the resubmission.

 

Conducting Research at The UWI

All applicants who use The UWI as a Research Site, i.e. will interview staff, students or collect secondary institutional data, must receive permission from the Office of the Campus Registrar after receiving research ethics approval but before data collection begins.

External researchers  are persons who are not staff or students of The UWI and who propose to use The UWI as a Research Site (to interview staff, students or access institutional data.) External researchers are required to receive research ethics approval before proceeding to collect data.

Please note that The Committee does not grant retroactive approval as stated in the Policy and Procedures document.

 

Committee Meeting Dates

There are no fixed meeting dates at present. The Committee aims to meet once per quarter.