University Research Ethics Committee

The University Research Ethics Committee (UREC) is an independent body and is not subject to the administrative control of any academic body, officer, department or national body and has the duties as regulated by the relevant laws of the Republic of Cyprus.

Scope of the University Research Ethics Committee

The guiding principle for the UREC’s decisions is the protection of research participants’ human rights. The primary purpose behind this principle is to ensure that no research project is permitted to override or outweigh the health, care, dignity, human rights and well-being of the participant. Researchers, in the presentation of their project proposals, must address issues of ethics and sensitivity of participants and information, and provide adequate guarantees in relation to these issues. The purpose of UREC is also to contribute to the protection of researchers and the University of Nicosia from risks emanating from the conduct of research. It does not contradict, but it is helpful towards the application process to the Cyprus National Bioethics Committee, should this be needed. Research conducted on experimental animals is governed by national legislation (Law 1995 (30(I)/1995). Researchers planning such research, should notify to the UREC of the approval obtained by the relevant Government authority, prior to the commencement of the project.

Membership of the University Research Ethics Committee

• One faculty member from each School
• One representative from the Research & Innovation Office (for Research and other proposals) or one representative from the Office of the VRFR (for final PhD proposals), who will be acting as an administrator, without voting right.
• Other experts that will be invited to participate in the Committee on an ad-hoc basis (with no voting right).

Each School Research Committee will nominate one faculty member for service on the UREC. The faculty members of the UREC will be electing the chair of the UREC for a period of 2 years. Decisions will be taken on a majority vote (50% +1). The length of service for each member (except the ex-officio members) will be two years.

In case the UREC cannot evaluate any research projects due to lack of expertise from its members on the particular project in question, then the UREC reserves the right to send research projects to a selected number of experts. These experts will evaluate the projects and report to the UREC. Such experts shall not be eligible to vote.

For research undertaken at the Bachelor’s or Master’s level, a Department/School Research Ethics Committee can be formed.

Conflict of Interest

It is in the UREC’s best interest that the composition, procedures and decision-making are independent of political, institutional, professional, and market influences.

A member of the UREC who has a conflict of interest must make this known to the Committee and not participate in any decision regarding the project in question.