Departmental Research Ethics Committees (DRECs)

Remit, contacts details and resources for DRECs

Remit

Departmental research ethics committees (DRECs) have delegated authority from the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) IDREC to approve research with 'straightforward' ethical issues (ie CUREC 1A applications). DRECs report to the SSH IDREC on a termly basis.

The following guide may be helpful to both DRECs and researchers:

Less straightforward cases where full CUREC 2 applications are required must be submitted to the DREC in the first instance for initial review, and processed by the DREC within three weeks of receipt. Once the DREC is satisfied, the CUREC 2 application will then be sent to the SSH IDREC for final review and approval. Where researchers apply for ethical review after the commencement of their research, they may only apply to the SSH IDREC, not their DREC.

Please see the SSH IDREC and DREC application process page for further information.

Contact details

 

The following departments have DRECs. Please apply to the DREC following the same principles as for applications to the SSH IDREC.

 
Department DREC name DREC chair Taking staff/student applications? Contact for submitting applications or queries
Anthropology & Museum Ethnography SAME DREC
 		 Prof David Pratten Staff and students Kate Atherton (ethics@anthro.ox.ac.uk)
Blavatnik School of Government BSG DREC Prof Peter Kemp Staff and students Jill Macgregor (ethics@bsg.ox.ac.uk) 
Computer Science CS DREC Prof Marina Jirotka Staff and students Jordan Summers (ethics@cs.ox.ac.uk) 
Continuing Education Cont Ed DREC Prof Matthew Weait Staff and students Amy Crickmay-Heraty (researchethics@conted.ox.ac.uk)
Economics Economics DREC Dr Francis Ditraglia Staff and students Fiona Bassett-Jones (ethics@economics.ox.ac.uk)
Education Education DREC Dr Elizabeth Wonnacott Staff and students

Staff applications: Irina Lepadatu (staff.curec@education.ox.ac.uk)
Student applications: student.curec@education.ox.ac.uk
Geography & the Environment SOGE DREC Prof Beth Greenhough Staff and students Anita Ghosh (curec@ouce.ox.ac.uk) 
Global & Area Studies OSGA DREC Prof Yaacov Yadgar Staff and students Francesca Tucci and Jacqueline Simester (curec@area.ox.ac.uk) 
International Development ODID DREC Prof Laura Rival Staff and students Staff applications: Emma Rundall (emma.rundall@qeh.ox.ac.uk)
Student applications: Dominique Attala (dominique.attala@qeh.ox.ac.uk)
Oxford Institute of Population Ageing OIA DREC Nana Nanitashvili Staff and students nana.nanitashvili@ageing.ox.ac.uk
Oxford Internet Institute OII DREC Prof Vili Lehdonvirta Staff and students drec@oii.ox.ac.uk
Politics & International Relations (staff) DPIR DREC (staff) Prof David Doyle Staff only Dawn Tohill (research@politics.ox.ac.uk) 
Politics & International Relations (students) DPIR DREC (students) Prof Ben Ansell (Politics)
Dr Karolina Milewicz (International Relations)		 Students only Andrew Melling (andrew.melling@politics.ox.ac.uk)
Saïd Business School SBS DREC Dr Rhonda Hadi Staff and students Chris Brooke-Hollidge (ethics@sbs.ox.ac.uk)
Social Policy & Intervention SPI DREC Dr Jamie Lachman Staff and students Alice Willington (ethics@spi.ox.ac.uk) 
Sociology Sociology DREC Dr Heather Hamill Staff and students Agnieszka Swiejkowska (drec@sociology.ox.ac.uk) 

 

Resources for DRECs

 

Resources available via the DREC Network SharePoint site include the following:

  • Guidance for new DRECs
  • Template DREC constitution
  • Template application log
  • Letter templates
  • Training materials

Departmental Research Ethics Committee (DREC) chairs, members and administrators are also welcome to contact the SSH IDREC Secretariat or members of the DREC Network (via the Microsoft Team) for guidance.

The DREC Network meets once a term for talks on a range of topics and to share good practice.  Meetings are usually attended by DREC chairs and DREC administrators, but other DREC members are welcome to attend as well.  Contact the SSH IDREC Secretariat if you would like to suggest a topic for discussion or if you would like to be added to the mailing list.

Setting up a DREC

 

The SSH IDREC encourages departments and faculties to consider setting up their own DREC. Please see the DREC template constitution, which all DRECs need to adapt for their own departments.

For further advice and more information on how the SSH IDREC and Research Services can help support Social Sciences and Humanities departments in setting up a DREC, please contact the SSH IDREC Secretariat at ethics@socsci.ox.ac.uk.
 

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