St James’s Hospital (SJH) supports a wide range of research activities aimed at improving patient care and advancing clinical knowledge. All research conducted at SJH requires two mandatory approvals before any study activity may begin Ethical Approval and Research & Innovation (R&I) Approval.
Ethics ensures that participants are protected, that data integrity is maintained, and that there is compliance with legislation and regulatory bodies. Receiving research ethics approval ensures that the researcher has adhered to the accepted ethical standards of a genuine research study. The type of ethical approval required is determined by the nature of the study.
Ethical Approval can be sought from the SJH/TUH Joint Research Ethics Committee (JREC) or from external RECs based on the nature of research and the associated risk.
Any research involving patients and/ or patient data from St James's Hospital MUST have at least JREC ethical approval.
External Research Ethics Committees (RECS) include:
R&I Approval is granted by the SJH Research & Innovation Office for research taking place in SJH, or involving SJH staff or patients, including patient’s data or samples. The R&I approval process ensures that research adheres to local governance policies that aim to protect the safety and wellbeing of patients, staff and researchers.
The R&I application covers data protection requirements, legal requirements and queries about hospital resources such as consumables and IT access.
There are two R&I approval pathways that are based on the nature of the study, the risk associated with the project and the type of ethics required for the project. The Pathways are explained in more detail in the
You can apply for R&I approval using the Infonetica Application Portal
Researchers must ensure that R&I approval has been granted before conducting the following:
You MUST NOT begin any research activity until an official R&I Approval Letter has been issued.
Ethical approval alone does not grant permission to begin.