Petri dishes in the Biomedical Science labs

Research Ethics

The FHM Research Ethics Committee (FHMREC) oversees ethical review of proposed research that is not reviewed through research ethics mechanisms outside the University, such as the NHS Research Ethics Service.

A new Research Ethics Application Management System (REAMS) launched on the 1st of November 2021. Please see below for more information. 

A research project being conducted by FHM staff and/or postgraduate students should be submitted to the FHMREC for ethical review if it involves human participants (including secondary analysis of data gathered from humans) or other possible ethical risk factors, and is not being reviewed externally.

The aim of the committee is to ensure that ethical considerations and issues are addressed in the conduct of research. The committee seeks to support and encourage the process of ethically conducted research in FHM. The committee structure includes members from all of the FHM divisions providing diversity in perspectives and speciality knowledge (see "committee membership" for members' expertise).

Note: During the summer months, it can take longer to review applications due to staff leave and other commitments. Therefore please help us to help you and allow extra time for your application to be fully processed and reviewed in summer.

Faculty of Health & Medicine Research Ethics Information accordion

Tab Content: Committee membership

Chair

  • Professor Laura Machin: Qualitative research methods; research on sensitive topics; recruitment of hard-to-access populations; elite interviewing; NHS ethical approval processes

Deputy Chair

  • TBC

Committee members

Biomedical and Life Sciences

  • Dr Allyson Clelland: Quantitative research methods; use of embryonic/fetal material; EDI and inclusion experience; using surveys
  • Dr Muhammad Munir: Quantitative research methods, the ethical aspect of working with experimental animals, research requiring ethics approval with reference to infectious diseases
  • Dr Rachael Rigby: Quantitative research methods, ethical aspects of working with experimental animals, ethical aspects of working with human tissue, research requiring NHS ethics approval
  • Dr Amy Saunders: Quantitative research methods, ethical aspects of working with experimental animals, ethical aspects of working with human tissue, research requiring NHS ethics approval, research conducted under the Human Tissue Act.

Division of Health Research

  • Dr Maddy French: [on leave for 2023-24] Mixed methods researcher; case study methodology; research into palliative and end-of-life care, social deprivation, and inequities
  • Dr Andrew Harding: Qualitative research methods; case studies; gerontology/ageing; dementia; information-giving
  • Dr Abigail Morris: Mixed methods research; intervention development and evaluation; research on sedentary behaviour and physical activity; research in workplace health and wellbeing
  • Professor Ceu Mateus: Quantitative research methods, health economics, research requiring NHS ethics approval
  • Dr Heather Robinson: Ethical considerations in relation to research involving people with serious mental illness (SMI) and/or carers of people with SMI; online data collection; quantitative research methods; randomised controlled clinical trials
  • Dr Yakubu Salifu: Qualitative research; individual/dyad/focus group interviews; thematic analysis; health research in resource-limited context, research in palliative and end-of-life care
  • Dr Luis Filipe: Quantitative methods researcher, health economics, research on hospital efficiency, ageing, resource allocation, people’s preferences for health services/policies, education/health trade-offs, and general policy analysis

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

  • Dr Katy Bourne: Lecturer in Clinical Psychology
  • Dr Sarah Parry: Qualitative and participatory methods; children's mental health; unusual sensory experiences; early-onset psychosis
  • Dr Buket Kara: Mixed methods research, mental health, resilience, child development, adolescent development, health inequalities, interventions, cross sectional studies, longitudinal studies
  • Dr Daniela Di Basilio: Mixed-methods research, qualitative methods, cross-sectional studies, use of digital health to support people with long-term conditions, severe mental health conditions.

Lancaster Medical School

  • Dr John Appleby Research ethics; reproductive ethics, medical innovation; research involving children
  • Dr Jemma Kerns: Laboratory based studies involving human tissue (with the NHS), ethical aspects of working with human participants, medical devices.
  • Dr Keira Markey:
  • Dr Anastasia Ushakova: Quantitative methods; research using NHS routinely collected data; longitudinal studies; big observational datasets; NHS ethics; mixed methods research
  • Dr Paul Hendrickes: Quantitative methods, ethical aspects of working with human tissue, ethical aspects of working with experimental animals, exercise research in humans

Postgraduate representatives

  • Beth McGladrigan
  • Phoebe Sharratt

Lay members

  • Gillian Mawby
  • Sarah Marden
  • Nicola Platt

FHM Associate Dean for Research

Tab Content: Committee Calendar

Dates for the academic year 2024-25

Please note that the deadline for applications is at the close of play on the dates given below. Applications received after 5.30pm on the day of the deadline may be rolled over to the next meeting. Also meeting dates are set at the start of the academic year, but are subject to change based on teaching schedules so please check with the FREC Research Ethics Officer if you have concerns around deadlines and project start dates.

  • 15th August 2024 (deadline for submissions: 29th July 2024) - CANCELLED
  • 12th September 2024 (deadline for submissions: 26th August 2024)
  • 17th October 2024 (deadline for submissions: 30th September 2024)
  • 14th November 2024 (deadline for submissions: 28th October 2024)
  • 12th December 2024 (deadline for submissions: 25th November 2024)
  • 16th January 2025 (deadline for submissions: 30th December 2024)
  • 13th February 2025 (deadline for submissions: 30th January 2025)
  • 13th March 2025 (deadline for submissions: 24th February 2025)
  • 17th April 2025 (deadline for submissions: 31st March 2025)
  • 15th May 2025 (deadline for submissions: 28th April 2025)
  • 19th June 2025 (deadline for submissions: 2nd June 2025)
  • 24th July 2025 (deadline for submissions: 7th July 2025)
  • 21st August 2025 (deadline for submissions: 4th August 2025)

Tab Content: Documentation and Guidance 2

NHS Sponsorship

Research with Children

Transcription

Please note that Lancaster University currently only has a data-sharing agreement with Nvivo and Microsoft (OneDrive and Teams) for transcription services. All other systems are not supported. A list of suggested software from ISS can be found here: Guidance from ISS on transcription software and technology.

If you are using a transcriber external to your research team they will have to sign a Confidentiality Agreement for the Transcription of Qualitative Data. See Sample transcriber confidentiality agreement for a template of this agreement.

Intellectual Property

For queries relating to Intellectual Property please email the Intellectual Property Team (ext. 93298).

International Research