School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics Research Ethics Committee

Application for Amendment to an Approved Research Application

[Please read the below guidelines carefully and fill the form to the best of your knowledge.

Before submitting the completed application form (with supporting documentation inserted herein) to happresearch@qub.ac.uk please delete all the sections marked yellow]

GENERAL APPLICATION PROCEDURE

If you are a staff member or a PhD student, a signed copy of this form (with the additional documents specified in the form) should be sent via email to HAPP Research HAPPresearch@qub.ac.uk who will check the consistency of the documentation and forward it to the Chair of the School Research Ethics Committee (REC), who will initiate the process of formal ethical review. Please do not send you form to the Chair of REC.

Please be advised of the following procedure:

BA or MA students should liaise with their supervisors (and/or module convenor) in the first instance. It is the supervisor who should submit via email a verified and signed copy of this form, including the additional documents specified in the form, to the attention of the Chair of the School REC.

First-year PhD students should submit the form and additional documents to the attention of the Chair of the School REC only after differentiation, when the details of their research design are completely finalized.

Supervisors (and/or module convenors) have two options open to them:

(a) If they think the research poses little risk and does not need further evaluation, they should explicitly indicate to the Chair of the School REC that this is the case. In this option, the School REC will retain the application without pursuing a process of formal ethical review.

(b) If, by contrast, they are of the opinion that the research has any ethical implications, they should explicitly indicate that the application should go through the process of formal ethical review. In this option, the Chair of the School REC will pursue the normal process of formal ethical review (Note that all research involving vulnerable participants is in this category “b”).

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

(1) Please collate all the documents related to your submission in one word.doc file before submitting the application – please entitle the file accordingly: your last name, date, HAPP REC AMEND 2022-23. The ethics committee does not accept separate files. This file should start with the Ethics Review Application Form, followed by the additional documents necessary for your application. Before submitting, please delete these – and all the following – instructions marked in yellow.

(2) Please attach a copy of the Ethical Approval Document received with the original application with this form.

(3) The dates required in section 6 of the form are a) the start and end dates of the research project overall, even if you apply for ethical approval of only a part thereof; and b) period of research you are seeking ethical review for. Since ethical approval is never retroactive, the date mentioned on your letter approving your research shall refer to your data collection and will be the future date. Moreover, ethical approval is granted for the period of the overall project or for a maximum period of one year for all other applications that are submitted as stand-alones (outside wider research project framework). Note, the end date cannot be more than one year after the start date.

(4) Your research may only commence once ethical approval has been granted. Ethical approval applies only to the procedures outlined in your submission to the Ethics Committee. If you plan to make any changes to the approved research proposal, then you must inform the SREC in writing of these changes of research protocol. Examples where this is required are: a change in recruitment procedure; a change in research methodology; a substantial change in the number of research participants etc.

(8) This ethics application form, along with any correspondence (e.g. approval letter, request for amendments etc.), will be kept as a formal record of the application process. QUB Research Governance undertakes a programme of audit and may request to see these documents. You must therefore keep a record of the application form and ethical approval memo alongside the completed consent forms and anonymised datasets for a minimum of five years in line with the Data Storage and Security Policy.

(9) It is the responsibility of the principal investigator to add any research project involving human participants, their material or data to the University’s Insurance Database, which is accessible through QOL under ‘My Research’. Supervisors (as Principal Supervisors) must also add their students’ projects to this database. The reference number provided in the approval letter should be included in the title line.

Details of original application

Date of application	Click to add date
Title of Research Project
Applicant’s Name
QUB Email Address
Category of Applicant	Staff ☐	Undergraduate student ☐ Masters student ☐ Doctoral student ☐
Student number:
Name of Supervisor: Student applications require the review of their supervisor.
Are there proposed changes to the original dates? If yes, please complete below.	Yes ☐	No ☐
Previous date end:	Click to add date	Proposed extension	Click to add date

Description of amendment

Outline briefly what is to be changed from the original application and the reason for the change.
You should provide a clear description here of what was originally intended and why it is to be changed. Your outline should not exceed 300 words. You may also, if you wish, submit an amended version of your original application form with more detailed changes highlighted in yellow within the document.
Outline briefly possible risks and concerns associated with the changes, and how they will be managed.
Outline these in bullet form as concisely as possible. It should not exceed 400 words.
Detail changes to approved Participant Information Sheets and Consent forms, where applicable Please also highlight all changes in yellow in amended participant paperwork which should also be submitted
Detail changes to nature and number of participants, where applicable.
Outline changes to methods, where applicable. Please highlight detailed changes to protocols, questions et cetera in yellow in the inserted appendices.

Declaration

☐ I have read and understood the QUB Policy on the Ethical Approval of Research (link opens PDF) and I undertake to adhere to its directives and to follow all principles and procedures outlined therein.
☒ I declare that the details above accurately reflect my research proposals and I undertake to seek updated approval if substantive changes are proposed after this submission.
Applicant signature:	Date:	Click to add date
Student applications require the review of their supervisor. This should be confirmed through completion of the section below.
☐ As the supervisor, I have reviewed this application.
☐ As the supervisor, I understand that I must register amended details of this project with the Insurance Database on receipt of the SREC approval memo.
Supervisor signature:	Date:	Click to add date

Appendices

[Insert list of only those appendices which have changed or been added here. Please highlight the changes within each document. This will aid a timely review]