Research Governance and Ethics Committee
MembershipTerms of ReferenceReporting StructureSecretariatMeetings
Membership 2025/26 subject to approval
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Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Impact, Governance and Ethics) (Chair) |
Professor Jon Coaffee |
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Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Trusted Research lead) |
Professor David Leadley TBC |
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The Chair of the Biomedical and Scientific Research Ethics Committee |
Dr Sudi Lahiri |
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The Chair of the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee |
Dr Alan Dolan |
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The Chair of the Sponsorship and Oversight Committee |
Professor Toby Smith |
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The Chair of the Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body or nominee |
Rachel Sandby-Thomas or nominee |
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The Human Tissue Act (HTA) Designated Individual (DI) |
Professor Geraldine Hartshorne |
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Director of Research and Impact Services |
Dr Navdeep Bains |
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Director of the People Team or nominee |
Dr Harriet Richmond (nominee) |
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Director of Legal and Compliance Services or nominee |
Rachel Gower |
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Chief Information Security Officer or nominee |
Rob Levett-Millett (nominee)
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One Student Officer nominated by the Students’ Union |
TBC
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One postgraduate research student representative (non-sabbatical) appointed by the Senate Nominations Panel |
TBC
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Deputy Chair (Research), Faculty of Arts |
Professor Alison Ribeiro de Menezes |
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Deputy Chair (Research), Faculty of Science, Engineering & Medicine |
Professor Mark Williams |
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Deputy Chair (Research), Faculty of Social Sciences |
Professor Chris Moran |
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Pro-Dean, Research (Warwick Medical School) |
Professor Andrew McAinsh
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Five members of staff from the University Community, the majority of whom shall be academic staff, with expertise in relevant areas, to be appointed by the Senate Nominations Panel. |
Professor Jonathan Millar (WMS) (2026) Professor David Roper (SLS) (2026) Professor Tom Sorell (2028) TBC TBC |
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Two independent members with expertise in the area, appointed by the Council |
Dr Debra Malpass TBC |
(The year after a member's name indicates that their term of office normally expires on 31 July of that year.)
In Attendance:
Secretary - Associate Director (Research Culture, Governance and Compliance), R&IS
Assistant Secretary - Research Governance and Quality Assurance Manager, R&IS
Assistant Director, Head of Research Governance & Compliance
Head of Research Integrity and Quality Assurance
Trusted Research Manager
Terms of Reference
Purpose: To provide oversight of the University’s research governance framework and assurance to the Senate and the Council that policies and procedures are in place to ensure the University’s compliance with its regulatory obligations, as they relate to research.
To approve:
1. Procedures on matters of research governance, ethics, and clinical research governance, ensuring alignment with associated statutory, regulatory and legal requirements and the University’s Research Strategy.
2. Procedures with regards to Trusted Research, including compliance with Export Control regulations, and the implementation of the Trusted Research action plan.
3. Strategies to support the University’s compliance with the ‘Concordat to support research integrity’, identifying any potential areas for improvement and development, including research integrity training.
4. Institutional ethical review processes operated through the Research Ethics Sub-Committees.
5. Clinical research governance, sponsorship and quality assurance oversight arrangements of the University Sponsorship Committee and relevant academic departments.
6. Act as the final body of appeal against decisions of sub-committees to reject research on ethical and/or reputational grounds
To recommend:
7. [To the Council and/or the Senate and/or the Policy and Oversight Group] Policies that may be required on matters of research governance, ethics, clinical research governance and Trusted Research.
8. [To the Council and the Senate, in conjunction with the University’s Fundraising Ethics Committee if appropriate] Policies that may be required in relation to accepting funds from particular funders of research or in relation to particular research partnerships, in alignment with the University’s ethical principles.
9. [To the Senior Officer Review Group] Advice on research funding and partnerships, if expert guidance is requested, ensuring alignment with the University’s ethical principles, identifying opportunities and risks.
10. [To the Council and the Senate] Amendments to the University's Research Code of Practice on Research Conduct and Code of Practice for the Investigation of Research Misconduct.
11. [To the Council] Approval of the University’s Research Integrity Annual Statement.
12. [To the Council] Approval of the University’s Trusted Research Action Plan.
To receive:
13. Regular reports on the activities of the Research Governance and Ethics Sub-Committees established to oversee procedures to approve and monitor research activities with potential ethical implications.
14. Regular reports on the activities of the Sponsorship and Oversight Committee, established to provide review and approval of the University sponsorship of research involving the NHS and to provide quality assurance oversight of the University’s sponsorship portfolio.
15. Regular reports on the activities of the Animal Welfare Review Body, established to oversee the ethical use of animals for research at the University.
16. Regular Export Control Activity Reports, to monitor compliance with Export Control Regulations.
17. Annual report from the University’s Designated Individual (HTA Research), ensuring that the requirements for licensing relevant activities under the Human Tissue Act are met.
18. Updates on regulatory inspections relating to research governance, including ethics, clinical research governance, human tissue, Trusted Research and export control.
19. Any issues relating to research governance, clinical research governance and ethics brought forward by members of staff of the University, as seen appropriate by the Chair of the Committee.
To report:
20. [To the Council and the Senate] On the work of the Committee and on the operation of the University’s research governance policies and procedures.
21. [Research Committee] On the work of the Committee and on relevant research governance and assurance policies, procedures and activities.
Provides assurance on:
- Adherence to the conditions of external funders
- Concordat to support research integrity
- UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research (2023)
- Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations (2004)
- Human Tissue Act (2004)
- Animals Scientific Procedure Act (1986)
- National Protective Security Agency (NPSA) Trusted Research Framework
- Export Control Act (2002) and Export Control Order (2008)
- National Security and Investment Act (2021)
- Nagoya Protocol Regulations (2015)
Reporting Structure
The Research Governance and Ethics Committee is a joint committee of the Council and the Senate, typically reporting through the Senate in the first instance.
Click here to see a diagrammatic representation of the Committee Structure.
Secretariat
Secretary: Carole Harris, Head of Research Governance (Research and Impact Services)
Assistant Secretary: Mathew Gane, Research Governance and Quality Assurance Manager (Research and Impact Services)
Please use rgaec@warwick.ac.uk in the first instance to make contact with the Research Governance and Ethics Committee Secretariat.
Papers for consideration by the Research Governance and Ethics Committee should be submitted to the Secretary two weeks in advance of the meeting at which they are to be considered.
Meetings
Dates of meetings of the Research Governance and Ethics Committee can be found within the University Committee Timetable.
For further details about the operation of the University's Governance and Ethics Committees and the proposals that need to be considered, please see the further guidance that is available here.