Collaborative applications

• Projects involving researchers from multiple Schools within St Andrews

  Review must be performed by the School ethics committee (SEC) of the lead researcher, with input from other relevant SEC convenors.

  • The researchers involved in the project must identify a lead researcher.
  • The lead researcher must send the ethical application to their SEC.
  • The convenor of the lead researcher's SEC will seek comment from (via email or through an invitation to a SEC meeting) the convenors of the SECs of any other researchers involved in the project, providing them will the full application paperwork for the project, recording their comments and factoring them into the review.

  Amendment applications should follow the same steps, including the lead researcher's SEC seeking comment and providing application paperwork to the other SECs.

• Projects involving persons or organisations outwith St Andrews

  When collaborating with other organisations, the researcher must ensure that they understand and meet the requirements of all partners.

  Researchers should establish local requirements and discuss the project with their School ethics committee.

• Projects that have already obtained ethical approval from another organisation

  Such approvals need to be ratified by a researcher's School ethics committee (SEC). The St Andrews based researcher must submit to their SEC:

  • a completed version of the first page and the signature page of the ethical review application form (Word)
  • a copy of the approved ethical application (and all supporting documentation) from the other organisation
  • a copy of the approval letter from the other organisation.

  The SEC will then determine whether the other organisation has reviewed and approved the application to an equivalent standard as the University of St Andrews; this may involve the SEC asking additional questions of the researcher. Ethical approval given by other UK universities will normally meet the standard set by the University. If the standard is not met, the researcher will have to submit a full ethical application through the normal process.

• Projects involving the NHS

  NHS approvals must usually be obtained first and then ratified by a School ethics committee.

  Visit the webpage on research involving the NHS for more information on approvals and processes.

  Acquiring NHS approvals may take months, so allow plenty of time and contact researchgovernance@st-andrews.ac.uk as soon as possible when planning or collaborating on a study. When applying for NHS ethical approval, researchers are still required to use the University's template documents.