Research Ethics Committee

Functions

The functions of the Research Ethics Committee’s (REC) are to prepare and approve reports, proposals, recommendations and other documents, which include:

• Issuing mandatory and binding reports related to research projects, requested by the University's faculties and research groups, or directly by researchers. Such reports may be required if the research involves human participants, personal data, biological samples of human origin, biological agents, genetically modified organisms or animal experimentation.
• Assessing whether a research project directly or indirectly affects a person’s fundamental rights and their bio-psychosocial dimension, animal welfare, conservation of the environmental or other commitments to society or the environment, on the request of a principal investigator, degree final project, Master’s dissertation or doctoral thesis supervisor, the Vice-Rector for Research and Faculty, deans or directors of the Doctoral College, even if a research project does not necessarily require a REC report.
• Preparing, if necessary, reports for the governing bodies of the University on the activity of the REC or on relevant ethical aspects of the research carried out at the University.
• Promoting bioethics training for the REC’s own members and the research community.
• Carrying out any other function delegated by the governing bodies of the University, in relation to ethical aspects of the research being carried out.

Members

According to Article 3 of the Research Ethics Committee Regulation, approved by the Board of Governors on December 1, 2015, the Research Ethics Committee (REC) will be composed of members in the following positions:

• Vice-Rector for Research and Faculty
• two members of the Chair in Bioethics
• a member from the Research Transfer Office (OTRI)
• a faculty representative from each faculty at UVic and Manresa Campuses
• Coordinator of the Chairs
• Director of the Doctoral School
• a member of the Clinical Research Ethics Committee at the Vic Hospital Consortium, and
• any other member who could be of interest to the Committee's tasks in the future because of their profile and potential contribution.

According to this regulation, and by appointment of the Rector, the first REC at UVic-UCC will include the following members:

• Eva Espasa, Vice-Rector for Research and Faculty (REC President), and representative of the Research Transfer Office (OTRI)
• Núria Terribas Sala, Executive Director of the Chair in Bioethics Fundació Grífols
• Ester Busquets Alibés, member of the Chair (REC Secretary)
• Anna Ramon, Member appointed by the Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare
• Alba Casellas, appointed by the Faculty of Science and Technology
• Jordi Chumillas, appointed by the Faculty of Education, Translation, Sports and Psychology 
• Núria Arimany, appointed by the Faculty of Business and Communication
• Eduard Maldonado, appointed by the Faculty of Health Sciences, Manresa
• Elena Medarde, appointed by the Faculty of Health Sciences, Manresa
• Laia Forcada, appointed by the General secretary  UVic-UCC
• Marta Otero, Director of the Doctoral School
• Ariel Guersenzvaig, appointed by Elisava, University School of Design and Engineering of Barcelona

Depending on the projects dealt with by the Committee, the Rector may appoint an additional member for each call.

As established in Article 3 of the Research Ethics Committee Regulations, all members will be appointed by the Rector, although faculty representatives will be proposed by their respective deans, following the criteria they consider appropriate. The OTRI representative will be appointed by the Vice-Rector for Research and Faculty, the members of the Chair in Bioethics by their Director and the Clinical Research Ethics Committee (CEIC) member according to the CEIC’s own internal decisions. Representatives will be chosen who have the relevant experience in the fields of research being carried out and, if possible, knowledge and training in ethics or bioethics. Remaining members will be appointed according to their position (Vice-Rector for Research and Faculty, Coordinator of the Chairs and Director of the Doctoral School).

REC appointments will be for a period of 4 years and may be extended by an additional period up to a maximum of 8 years. Members may resign voluntarily or be replaced in accordance with internal decisions before the end of their term.

Presentation of projects

Researchers or research groups who submit projects to the Research Ethics Committee (REC) for evaluation must send the request through the Research Transfer Office (OTRI) at least 15 days before a Committee meeting. If the evaluation of the project in question cannot wait for an ordinary call, an extraordinary meeting will be convened upon special request. This extraordinary call will be made, exceptionally, according to Art. 7.2.

The REC can request that applicants extend or complete the documentation or information submitted, if the information provided is considered insufficient to properly assess the research project. The REC will also require, when necessary, a certificate from the applicant stating that the centre where the investigation is to be carried out, provides the adequate facilities and safety measures to carry out research with particularly sensitive materials, such as genetically-modified organisms or pathogenic microorganisms.

In the case of joint research projects with other institutions, the institution where the principal investigator is affiliated will normally be responsible for the mandatory ethical evaluation report. In all cases, the REC must be informed that the report has been issued by another Committee, and when necessary the REC will take charge of those issues that are the direct responsibility of the University itself.

Documentation

UVic-UCC Documentation

• Application for project evaluation
• Recommendations for writting the information sheet and the informed consent

Documentation

• The european Code of Conduct for Reserach Integrity      

Calendar

The Research Ethics Committee (REC) will meet at least once every two months, well in advance of research calls when required. The ordinary calendar of meetings will be published for specific areas of research by the Research Transfer Office (OTRI), so that it is available to all researchers and research groups.

Additional REC meetings may be held, if a greater number of requests are made by researchers by grouping the different requests in the same meeting, so that the number of meetings is not exceeded. However, if a project makes a special request, an extraordinary meeting may be convened, exceptionally, within 48 hours, and will be valid if at least one third of the members, including the President, attend.

The calendar for scheduled ordinary meetings is:

• October 2023: Monday, 2nd, at 3:00 p.m. (Deadline for project submission - 20/10/2023)
• November 2023: Monday, 6th, at 3:00 p.m. (Deadline for project submission - 20/10/2023)
• December 2023: Monday, 4th, al 3:00 p.m (Deadline for project submission - 17/11/2023)
• February 2024: Monday, 5th, at 3:00 p.m. (Deadline for project submission - 19/01/2024)
• March 2024: Monday, 4th, at 3:00 p.m. (Deadline for project submission - 16/02/2024)
• April 2024: Monday, 8th, at 3:00 p.m (Deadline for project submission - 22/03/2024)
• May 2024: Monday, 6th, at 3:00 p.m. (Deadline for project submission - 19/04/2024)
• June 2024: Monday, 3rd, at 3:00 p.m (Deadline for projecte submission - 17/05/2024)
• July 2024: Monday, 8th, at 3:00 p.m (Deadline for projecte submission - 21/06/2024)

No calendar for extraordinary meetings has been planned.