University ethics review process
The University operates a tiered approach to ethics review based on an assessment of the risks involved to research participants, both subjects and investigators.
Ethics Officer review
All applications are assessed by the Ethics Officer of the appropriate department using ERAMS in the first instance. Ethical approval can be granted by the departmental Ethics Officer if the project only involves the procedures listed on the approved list given in Annex B. Otherwise, having ensured that any queries have been revised with and addressed by the applicant, the application must be referred to an Ethics Sub-Committee (ESC) indicating the reason for so doing.
Department Ethics Officers
| Department | Ethics Officer |
| Computer Science and Electronic Engineering | Dr Ian Daly |
| East 15 | Professor Rosemary Klich |
| Economics | Professor Friederike Mengel |
| Edge Hotel School | Dr Whitney Vernes |
| Essex Business School | Professor Melissa Tyler |
| Essex Pathways | Dr Billy Woods |
| Government | Professor Han Dorussen |
| Health and Social Care | Dr Matumo Ramafikeng |
| ISER | Dr Jon Burton |
| Language and Linguistics | Dr Karen-Roehr-Brackin |
| Law | Dr Oriola Sallavaci |
| Life Sciences | Professor Thomas Cameron |
| Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies | Dr Dominic Dean |
| Mathematical, Statistical and Actuarial Science | Dr Alex Diana |
| PHAIS | Dr Daniel Watts |
| Psychology | Dr Alex Sel |
| Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies | Dr Norman Gabriel |
| Sociology |
Professor Sandya Hewamanne (For Autumn 2026 only) |
| Sport, Rehabilitation, and Exercise Science | Dr Izzie Easton (January to June) Dr Ola Birn-Jefferey (July to December) |
Ethics Sub-Committee Review
There are three cross-faculty Ethics Sub-Committees (ESC). Membership comprises of Ethics Officers of the departments covered by the ESC represented and are chaired by a Faculty Dean (Research).
Each ESC assesses applications for ethical approval passed to them by the departmental Ethics Officer in accordance with the procedures below. The ESC:
- refers applications back to an applicant via the departmental Ethics Officer where change, clarification or additional information is required;
- grants approval for applications within the remit of the ESC; or
- refers an application to the Ethics Committee. The criteria to assist ESCs in deciding whether to refer an application to the Ethics Committee are set out in Annex A.
All Applications are reviewed and outcomes are recorded in ERAMS.
An annual report is used to assist in the compilation of the University Ethics Committee's annual report to Senate.
Ethics sub-committee dates and submission deadlines are published online.
The ESC structure is as follows:
Ethics sub-committees
Ethics sub-committee 1
| Faculty/Department | Sub-committee member (Role) |
| Faculty Dean (Research) Science & Health | TBC (Chair) |
| Institute for Social and Economic Research | Dr Jon Burton (Deputy Chair) |
| Essex Pathways | Dr Billy Woods |
| Health and Social Care | Dr Matumo Ramafikeng |
| Life Sciences | Professor Thomas Cameron |
| LiFTS | Dr Dominic Dean |
| PHAIS | Dr Daniel Watts |
Ethics sub-committee 2
| Faculty/Department | Sub-committee member (Role) |
| Faculty Dean (Research) Humanities | Professor Dorina Maria Buda (Chair) |
| Sport, Rehabilitation, and Exercise Science | Dr Izzie Easton (Deputy Chair) |
| Computer Science and Electronic Engineering | Dr Ian Daly |
| East 15 Acting School | Professor Rosemary Klich |
| Essex Business School | Professor Melissa Tyler |
| Language and Linguistics | Dr Karen-Roehr-Brackin |
| Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies | Dr Norman Gabriel |
| Sociology | Professor Roisin Ryan-Flood |
Ethics sub-committee 3
| Faculty/Department | Sub-committee member (Role) |
| Faculty Dean (Research) Sociology | Professor Thankom Arun (Chair) |
| Economics | Professor Friederike Mengel |
| Edge Hotel School | Dr Whitney Vernes |
| Government | Professor Han Dorussen |
| Essex Law School | Dr Oriola Sallavaci |
| Mathematical, Statistical and Actuarial Science | Dr Alex Diana |
| Psychology | Dr Alex Sel |
Ethics Committee review
The University's Ethics Committee, a committee of Senate, undertakes the following core activities:
- Development of policy and guidance
- Provision of oversight for all research-related ethical issues
- Assessment of applications for ethical approval only when referred by an Ethics Sub-Committee (ESC)
- Hearing of appeals against decisions made by ESCs (an appeal against a decision made by the University’s Ethics Committee when considering an application for ethical approval will be heard by a specially convened committee)
- Maintenance of interaction with NHS research ethics committees
- Maintenance of interaction with other external research ethics committees (for example, that of the MoD) where appropriate
- Receipt of annual reports from Ethics Sub-Committees
- Audit of a sample of applications processed by ESCs to ensure that there is consistency in ESCs working across the University
- Provision of an annual report to Senate which includes a summary of the decisions made in response to applications for ethical approval in the previous year by the Ethics Committee and all ESCs
Ethics committee
Ethics committee members
Ex officio (academic members)
Vice-Chancellor: Professor Frances Bowen
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research): Professor Noam Lubell (Chair)
Dean of Postgraduate Research and Education: Professor Leanne Andrews
Health and Safety Adviser: Dr Alison Moss
Information Assurance Manager: TBC
Head of Research Governance and Planning: Phineas Wenlock
Vice-President (Education), Students’ Union: Chloe Jeffery
Appointed members (lay members)
Professor Tony Elston
Professor Wayne Martin
Dr Loreen Chikwira
Alan Cullen
Sophie Lowe
Terms of Reference
Ethics Committee Terms of Reference
- To advise the Senate on matters pertaining to the ethics of research.
- To review proposals for research involving human participants to be carried out in the University or within the area of its authority.
- To review proposals for research involving human participants to be carried out by staff and students of the University in places other than the University. Where there is no ethics committee at the other institution, the University's Ethics Committee will act. Where a committee exists at the other institution, the University's Ethics Committee must be notified and will determine whether or not to be involved.
- To provide authoritative and definitive guidance to the University on any specific ethics problem that it refers to the Committee.
- To make an annual report to the Senate.
Download a copy of the University of Essex Administrative Structure for Ethics Review
