Computing and Engineering Research Governance and Ethics

All research within the School of Computing and Engineering is conducted to the highest possible ethical standards that are compliant with the Concordat on Research Integrity. The concordat sets out 5 main commitments: 

  • Maintaining the highest standards of rigor and integrity in all aspects of research
  • Ensuring that research is conducted according to appropriate ethical, legal, and professional frameworks, obligations and standards
  • Supporting a research environment that is underpinned by a culture of integrity and based on good governance, best practice and support for the development of researchers
  • Using transparent, robust and fair processes to deal with allegations of research misconduct should they arise
  • Working together to strengthen the integrity of research and to review progress regularly and openly

The School is committed to promoting all aspects of these research commitments and complies with the University's Code of Practice for Research, the University's Research and Ethics Integrity Policy and the University's Procedure for Research Misconduct.

Key contacts:

Director of Research Professor Simon Iwnicki s.iwnicki@hud.ac.uk
School Ethics Champion Dr Steve Wade s.j.wade@hud.ac.uk
DVC for Allegations of Misconduct Professor Tim Thornton t.j.thornton@hud.ac.uk

 

Management of Research Governance and Ethics

School Research Ethics and Integrity Committee

Responsibility and purpose
Research governance is managed through our School Research Ethics and Integrity Committee (SREIC).  The SREIC is responsible for implementing the University’s policies and procedures in relation to research governance, ensuring that all research carried out in the School is reviewed for ethical standards and for disseminating good practice.

The Committee meets a minimum of once per term and has an agreed membership that reflects the expertise and breadth of experience that is required to provide comprehensive and rigorous review.

Membership

  • SREIC Chair: Grigoris Antoniou
  • Director of Graduate Education: Jonathan Hinks
  • Deputy Director of Graduate Education: Minsi Chen
  • School Ethics Champion: Steve Wade
  • Module Leaders for projects
  • Academic Integrity Officer

Procedure for obtaining ethical approval for all research projects

To ensure that research activity within the School is conducted to the highest ethical standards, all staff and students (undergraduate and postgraduate) are required to follow the process outlined in the Ethical Review Process for PGR, PGT and UGT Projects.

Details on how to make an application for ethical approval can be found on the Project Ethical Review Form.  Decisions on all ethical applications are noted at the SREIC.

Staff follow the process outlined in the Grant Application Process for all external grant applications with all proposals being peer reviewed by a minimum of one peer reviewer.  It is the applicant’s responsibility to select the most appropriate internal academic reviewer. An Ethical Checklist is also completed at this stage.

School policy on the management of security sensitive research projects

The School complies with the Universities Policy on Research in Security Sensitive areas as outlined in the University research ethics and integrity document

Security sensitive research projects are defined as:

  • Studies commissioned by the military
  • Studies commissioned under an EU security call
  • Studies that involve the acquisition of security clearances
  • Studies concerning terrorist or extreme groups

The School will capture/identify these studies during the ethical approval process outlined above and complies with procedures regarding secure storage of data.

The Chair of the SREIC should be the first point of contact for enquiries about security sensitive material associated with the University or University staff/student members.

Training and Development

The University offers training and briefing sessions, co-ordinated and facilitated by the Research and Enterprise Office in collaboration with the Staff Development Office.

The University through the provision of guidance notes will provide guidance and support and web-based resources that can be accessed via links on the Research and Enterprise webpages or UniLearn as appropriate.

All new members of staff meet with the Subject Area Leader and Research Group Leader, when they start in post. This constitutes a formal component of the induction process, the purpose of which is to inform new members of staff about the Universities and Schools policies on Research Ethics.

All new postgraduate research students will be required to attend a school induction where ethics is covered.  Research ethics is also a requirement of submission during the first progression monitoring stage for all PGR students.

The training offered by the School through our induction process is sufficiently flexible to provide subject or discipline specific guidance and training. Links to other professional bodies include Research Councils UK.