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 ethics applications for low-risk and medium-risk research (previously known as CUREC 1B and CUREC 1A applications). Applicants should allow 30 days for the review process. 

Ethics applications for high-risk research (previously known as CUREC 2 applications) are reviewed by both the DREC and the SSH IDREC. Applicants should allow 60 days for the review process. 

DRECs report to the SSH IDREC on a termly basis.
 

The SSH IDREC and DREC application process page explains the application process.

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 Clare Harris

 Staff and students Kate Atherton (ethics@anthro.ox.ac.uk)
Blavatnik School of Government BSG DREC Prof Peter Kemp Staff and students Miriam Mendes and 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 Dr Sarah Frodsham Staff and students David Graham (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 (Dr Ian Thompson - Acting Chair for MT2024)

 Staff and students

Irina Lepadatu and Mady Buil (research.management@education.ox.ac.uk)
Geography & the Environment SOGE DREC Prof Danny Dorling Staff and students Gavin Bird (curec@ouce.ox.ac.uk) 
Global & Area Studies OSGA DREC Prof Yaacov Yadgar Staff and students Francesca Tucci and Nicoleta Mirza (curec@area.ox.ac.uk) 
International Development ODID DREC

Prof Diego Sánchez-Ancochea

 Staff and students Staff applications: Emma Rundall (research-support@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 Robin Harding Staff only Cheryl Birdseye (research@politics.ox.ac.uk) 
Politics & International Relations (students) DPIR DREC (students) Prof Robin Harding Students only Zoe Saul (zoe.saul@politics.ox.ac.uk)
Saïd Business School SBS DREC Prof Pedro Bordalo Staff and students ethics@sbs.ox.ac.uk
Social Policy & Intervention SPI DREC Prof David Humphreys Staff and students Jonathan Lowe and James Dean (ethics@spi.ox.ac.uk) 
Sociology Sociology DREC Dr Heather Hamill Staff and students Robert Lea (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.
 

CONTACTS

Related links