TOR & SOPs

• Terms of Reference

The terms of reference (TOR) document provides guidelines and a minimum standard for the North-West University Education, Management and Economic Sciences, Law, Theology, Engineering and Natural Sciences Research Ethics Committee’s (NWU-EMELTEN-REC) operational management of research ethics processes. It ensures the essential purpose of the North-West University Education, Management and Economic Sciences, Law, Theology, Engineering and Natural Sciences Research Ethics Committee (NWU-EMELTEN-REC) to protect the dignity, rights, safety, and wellbeing of all human participants. This is done through independent, prospective and on-going ethics review of all research studies undertaken by staff, registered students and affiliates of the University.

Note: The TOR document should be read in conjunction with all the other SOPs of the North-West University Education, Management and Economic Sciences, Law, Theology, Engineering and Natural Sciences Research Ethics Office (NWU-EMELTEN-REO) as well as national and international documentation (see section 9).

• Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) Documents

1.1. SOP for the establishment of SOP’s of NWU-EMELTEN-REC

1.2. SOP for selection, appointment and functioning of NWU-EMELTEN-REC

1.3. SOP for incident and serious adverse event reporting and management of NWU-EMELTEN-REC

1.4. SOP for the research ethics approval application process of NWU-EMELTEN-REC

1.5. SOP for complaints management of NWU-EMELTEN-REC

1.6. SOP for monitoring and amendment of approved research studies of NWU-EMELTEN-REC

1.7. SOP for the expedited review process of NWU-EMELTEN-REC

Ethics application & notification forms

Please note that all communication regarding new and approved ethics applications must be submitted to the ethics office by the principal investigator who in the case of Masters and Doctoral studies, is the supervisor/promoter of the study.

New Applications:

Please send all new ethics applications to Ethics-EMELTEN-apply@nwu.ac.za

In-process Applications:

Please send all in-process ethics applications to Ethics-EMELTEN-process@nwu.ac.za

Monitoring of Approved Ethics Applications:

Please send all monitoring reports of approved ethics applications to Ethics-EMELTEN-mon@nwu.ac.za

Application forms

Application form for a Larger or Single study

Informed consent form template

Informed consent form checklist

NWU Code of Conduct for Researchers

Confidentiality undertaking

Transport indemnity form

Indemnity form

Ethics review checklist

Checklist for attachments

Form A

• Operational guidelines ministerial consent
• Example: Ministerial consent, Form A

Withdrawal of an ethics application in process

Application for ammendment (Approved ethics application)

Report forms

Incident and Serious Adverse event reporting:

NWU-EMELTEN-REC Incident report form

Please report all incidents and serious adverse events to Ethics-EMELTEN-apply@nwu.ac.za

Monitoring Reports:

Monitoring report template

Please send all monitoring reports of approved ethics applications to Ethics-EMELTEN-mon@nwu.ac.za​

Reviewer forms

Reviewer Report Form

Other ethics resources

DoH’s Ethics in Health Research: Principles, Processes and Structures, 2nd ed. 2015

Ethical Research Involving Children

The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity

NWU-EMELTEN-REC committee information

Important dates

Meeting dates up to 31 March 2023

Meeting dates from 1 April 2023

Check list for attachments

Checklist for attachments for a research study ethics approval application to the North-West University Education, Management and Economic Sciences, Law, Theology, Engineering and Natural Sciences (NWU-EMELTEN-REC):