If your research project requires ethical review by a University Research Ethics Committee (REC), please identify and contact the relevant REC using the information on this webpage.
University RECs - an overview
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Department and Faculty-level RECs. Most departments have their own REC or a system to apply for ethical review from a School-level REC. You should check local arrangements in your department/faculty.
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School-level RECs.There are 4 School-level RECs that review research projects involving human participants and personal data. Before applying, check if your department/faculty has its own REC or a way to apply to a School-level REC.
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University Research Ethics Committee (UREC). The UREC is the overarching Committee at the University of Cambridge for the consideration of ethical issues arising from research that involves human participants and personal data. Please see the UREC remit here.
External RECs
In some instances, you may need to apply for ethical review from an external REC in the UK or overseas. Click on 'External RECs' below for further information.
List of University of Cambridge RECs and resources relating to external RECs
| School | Name | Domain | Further details |
| SBS | Cambridge Psychology REC | Considers applications for ethical review for research programmes in human psychology at the University of Cambridge, where these do not come under NRES review. The Committee is constituted from senior members of Departments from which applications are most commonly made. For further information on the Committee, including membership and how to make an application for ethical review, please see their website. |
Contact point - SBSEthics@admin.cam.ac.uk |
| SHSS | HSS REC | Considers ethics applications from researchers in the arts, humanities and social sciences at the University. The Committee considers cases that cannot be, or would not be appropriate to be, dealt with at a local level. |
Contact point - HSSREC@admin.cam.ac.uk |
| SBS | Human Biology REC | Considers applications for ethical review for research programmes in human biology at the University of Cambridge, where these do not come under NRES review. The Committee is constituted from senior members of those Departments from which applications are most commonly made. For further information on the Committee, including membership and how to make an application for ethical review, please see their website. |
Contact point - SBSEthics@admin.cam.ac.uk |
| STEC & SPS |
Joint School of Technology and School of Phyiscal Sciences REC |
Considers ethics applications from researchers in technology and physical sciences at the University. The Committee considers cases that cannot be, or would not be appropriate to be, dealt with at a local level. |
Contact points - Naomi Hilton (Technology) researchstrat@tech.cam.ac.uk and Physical Sciences |
Local RECs in Faculties and Departments in the School of the Humanities and Social Sciences
| Department/Faculty | REC Name | Further details |
| Dept of Archaeology | Dept of Archaeology RC | |
| POLIS | POLIS EC |
Contact point - Emma King |
| Social Anthropology | Social Anthropology EC |
Contact point: RGA |
| Sociology | Sociology Division REC | |
Education
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Faculty of Education SPRE |
Contact Points: Staff: Research-Office@educ.cam.ac.uk Students: ugrad@educ.cam.ac.uk |
| Faculty of Law | Faculty of Law EC |
Contact Point - Chair |
| History and Philosophy of Science | HPS EC |
Contact Point - DA |
| Institute of Criminology | IoC EC |
Website (intranet) Contact Point - Chair |
| Department of Land Economy | Land Economy RC |
Contact Point - Research Administrator |
If you do not see your faculty or department above, it does not have a local REC. In such instances, there is normally a local process to support researchers to seek ethical review from a School-level REC. Please check and follow your local process. For example, you may need to submit an ethics application to the School-level HSS REC through your departmental administrator or another local contact point.
Local RECs in Faculties and Departments in the School of Arts and Humanities
| Department/Faculty | REC Name | Further details |
| Faculty of Architecture and History of Art | Architecture & HoA EC | |
| Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence | CFI REC |
Website (intranet) Contact point - Chair dp605@cam.ac.uk |
| Faculty of Divinity | Faculty of Divinity RC | |
| Faculty of Music | Faculty of Music REC |
Website (Intranet) Contact point - DA ethics@mus.cam.ac.uk |
| Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics | MMLL EC |
Website (intranet) Contact point - Chair |
If you do not see your faculty or department above, it does not have a local REC. In such instances, there is normally a local process to support researchers to seek ethical review from a School-level REC. Please check and follow your local process. For example, you may need to submit an ethics application to the School-level HSS REC through your departmental administrator or another local contact point.
Local RECs in the Departments and Faculties in the School of Physical Sciences
| Department/Faculty | REC Name | Further information |
|
Geography |
Department of Geography ERG |
Contact point - Chair |
Please seek ethical review directly from the Joint School REC, if you are based in one of the following departments in the School of Physical Sciences:
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
- Department of Earth Sciences
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy
- Department of Physics
- Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics
- Institute of Astronomy
- Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry
RECs in School of Technology
| Department/Faculty | Name |
Further Details |
| Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership |
CISL ROC |
Contact Point - research@cisl.cam.ac.uk |
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Cambridge Judge Business School
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Judge Business School ERG
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Contact Point - REC administrator |
| Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology | CEB REC |
Contact Point - Chair |
| Computer Science and Technology | Faculty of Computer Science REC |
Contact point - Ethics administrator |
| Dept of Engineering | Dept of Engineering RERC |
Contact point- REC secretary research-ethics@eng.cam.ac.uk. |
Local RECs in Departments and Faculties in the School of Biological Sciences
| Department/Faculty | REC Name(s) | Further Details |
| Veterinary Medicine | Animal Ethics & Welfare Committee |
Contact Point |
| Department of Psychology | Dept of Pyschology EC |
Website (Intranet) hodsecretary@psychol.cam.ac.uk.
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If you do not see your faculty or department above, it does not have a local REC. Please check the description of the two School-level RECs in the School of Biological Sciences. As appropiate, please seek guidance or submit an ethics application to Cambridge Pscyhology REC or the Human Biology REC (details under the School REC section).
Please note, depending on the nature of your research, you may need to seek NHS ethical review. Read the information below for further guidance.
Local RECs
| REC Name(s) | Further Details |
| Fitzwilliam museum & HKI | Website (intranet) |
| Institute of Continuing Education | |
| CHES REC |
If you work in a non-School institution in the University that does not have a local REC, you should normally seek ethical review from the most relevant School-level University REC.
For some research proposals, an application to an external ethics committee may be required.
NHS Research Ethics Review
If your research involves NHS patients, their relatives and carers, or NHS data, you must seek NHS ethics review as part of the wider HRA Approvals process. In addition, research involving human tissue, prisoners or adults lacking capacity, Clinical Trials of Investigative Medicinal Products (CTIMPs) requires NHS ethical review.
Use the HRA toolkit to understand what approvals are required and for further information. The Clinical School Research governance team can also give appropriate advice.
Ministry of Defence Research Ethics Committee (MoDREC)
If you answer 'yes' or 'unsure' to ALL three questions below, MoDREC ethical review is likely to be required:
- is your project funded by the MOD, or does it involve MOD-employed staff or participants?
- is your project ‘research’?
- are human participants involved?
Read the Ministry of Defence REC JSP 536 Part 2: Guidance for further information.
Overseas ethical review
All research with human participants or using personal data is expected to follow the UREC guidance on ethical review of overseas research available in the research ethics handbook (see p32).
Please note: where the external body advises that ethical review by that body is not required, the Lead Researcher should submit an ethics application to the relevant University REC in accordance with the University ethical framework.