Research ethics and governance
The University of Sussex requires anyone doing research involving human or animal subjects to obtain ethics approval before their work commences. Ethics and governance policies essentially aim to protect the subjects of research (and the researcher) from harm, though they also involve legal protections.
Online Ethical Review Application System
All ethical review applications must be made via the online system: Infonetica APPLY.
Further information about whether you need ethics approval and how to apply is available on the Research Governance and Integrity webpages:
Review Routes
- All staff and PhD student applications are reviewed by the Faculty of Social Sciences REC (F‑REC SS).
- All taught student applications are reviewed by the School Research Ethics Officer (SREO). High‑risk applications will have an additional review by a member of the F‑REC.
For students, please check with your School, Department or Supervisors for local teaching requirements or submission deadlines, as these can vary by course and module.
Ethics Support and Advice
If you need support with your ethics application, please contact the Faculty of Social Sciences REC or the Senior Research Ethics & Integrity Officer.
- Whether and when ethics approval is required
- How to prepare and submit an application
- Navigating the review process
Research Funding Opportunities
Applying for funding? Further information is available on the University's Research and Knowledge Exchange site:
Contracts and Agreements
All research that involves working with external partners should be discussed with the Contracts and IP team to assess whether a contract is needed:
https://www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/research/contractsandip
For general research, ethics and integrity queries – please contact rgoffice@sussex.ac.uk