Ethics Review Board of the Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

FERB-procedure

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The research project must be submitted by the researcher with primary responsibility to the FERB before the start of the data collection and before the recruitment of participants.
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To apply, please fill out the questionnaire in PRIDE.

For a preview of the several application forms:

PRIDE Questionnaire for approval Single Study

PRIDE Questionnaire for approval Research Program

PRIDE Questionnaire for approval Existing Data

PRIDE Questionnaire for approval Amendement

Students must fill out their application in UU-SER.
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[collapse title=”About the FERB”]
The general point of departure is that the Faculty Board assumes that all the research at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences is conducted in an ethically responsible manner in accordance with the prevailing conduct and professional codes and (European, national and international) legislation.

However, it may be that you yourself as a researcher believe that your study should be reviewed in view of, for instance, the participation of human subjects or for the purpose of a publication, grant or otherwise.

The following is a step-by-step plan in order to ascertain if, and by which body, your study should be reviewed.

As of May 25th 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has come into force – posing new demands on any organization that processes personal data. Considering the nature of its scientific focus, many of the research conducted at the faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences is not only subject to the VSNU code for academic practice, but likely also to legislation such as the GDPR.

In order to safeguard compliance with (inter) university codes of conduct and legislation, all FSBS research will be subject to review by the faculty’s ethical review board (FERB). Through FERB review, individual researchers will comply to the GDPR, the UU research data handling framework, in line with the VSNU code of conduct for scientific practice. More importantly, researchers:

  • will be able to receive adequate support in drafting (GDPR-proof) communication to (potential) participants (consent and information letters);
  • will be able to receive adequate support in drafting formal agreements when exchanging data (data processing agreements, data transfer agreements);
  • receive formal ethical approval of their study.

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[collapse title=”To whom does this protocol apply?”]
This protocol applies to everyone within the FSBS who actively conducts research as part of a tenured or non-tenured position, including all PhD candidates carrying out doctoral research under the supervision of professors and all Research Master’s students. Storage and handling of personal data collected by Bachelor’s and one-year Master’s students formally is supervised by the FSBS data collection protocol for student projects.

Levels of Review
The FERB considers three levels of review:

  1. Exempt;
  2. Expedited;
  3. Full.

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[collapse title=”Review by the Medical Research Ethics Committee (MREC or METC)”]
Please check in the PDF and/or this link whether review by the MREC is required. Please note that if the MREC considers the study “not WMO-plichtig” you still have to submit your project in PRIDE.
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