Research Ethics Committee
Responsible conduct of research is important for a number of reasons:
Middle East University has adopted the Charter for Ethics and Guiding Principles of Scientific Research in Lebanon (National Council for Scientific Research, 2016) to assist in setting research ethics policy.
Research Director (Chair), Vice President for Academics, Faculty Members representing each Faculty (Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, Education, and Philosophy & Theology)
The Research Ethics Committee (REC) oversees all research activities at the university. The REC makes recommendations to the university about research policies. The REC also evaluates individual research proposals by MEU faculty members or students and can approve or reject such proposals.
Proposals for new research projects (or proposed amendments to existing projects) must be made by a principal investigator who is a Faculty Member at MEU or who has been approved to mentor a student researcher enrolled at MEU. Student research (for example for a thesis) is always supervised by a Research Advisor, who is the principal investigator for the research activity.
Research proposals, along with completed form T-3 (Approval for Data Collection) and other documentation (e.g. Questionnaires, Surveys, Informed Consent forms) should be sent to the Research Director. Researchers at MEU must be certified in responsible conduct of research.
Who needs approval from the REC for their research?
Who does not need approval from the REC for their research?
All research studies involving human subjects must be reviewed by the REC. Biomedical studies require a full review involving all members of the REC. Studies that pose ‘minimal risk’ to study participants, including surveys, only require an expedited review that is conducted by one or two members of the REC as assigned by the chair.
The Principal Investigator (and Student Researcher if applicable) will receive feedback from the Chair of the REC. When approved, each study receives a Research Project Approval Number that can be referenced in communications regarding the study. This number may be required by funding agencies or by journals for publication.
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