Approval Process

Getting approval for your project

Anyone seeking ethical approval for a project which brings them into contact with other people must complete the relevant form as specified below.

Staff and research postgraduate students

Completion and submission of forms

All forms should be completed electronically and submitted to the GSBS Ethics mailbox gsbsethics@gcu.ac.uk for consideration and approval by a member of the Committee.

Where the person to whom the forms are first submitted feels unable to approve the project as described in the form the matter will be referred as appropriate either to the Department’s representative on the Ethics Committee, to the full School Ethics Committee and/or to the University’s Ethics Committee if need be.

When and if approval is finally given the form will be returned to the postgraduate student/staff member who submitted it by the Senior Officer (Research Administration) from gsbsethics@gcu.ac.uk

In some cases a risk assessment may be required. If this is the case, please use the Risk Assessment Form.

Undergraduate dissertation students and taught postgraduate students

You must complete an EC5 Ethical Approval Form. This should be completed by the student and sent to your supervisor.  In most cases a supervisor will confirm ethical approval and will return the signed form to the student, retaining a copy for their records.  In the event that the research raises ethical issues that cannot be addressed by the supervisor, advice should be sought from the Chair of the GSBS Research Ethics Committee, Professor Oonagh Walsh. You can get in touch with Professor Walsh at oongah.walsh@gcu.ac.uk.