Ethics Bodies for Research and Innovation
2. The URV's ethics bodies for research and innovation (RDI) are the following:
a) Research and Innovation Ethics Committee (CERI)
b) Assessment and monitoring committees:
- Drug Research Ethics Committee of Institut Pere Virgili (CEIm-IISPV)
- Animal Research Ethics Committee (CEEA)
- Ethics Committee for Research into People, Society and the Environment (CEIPSA)
c) Ethics Committee for Integrity in RDI (CEIR)
2.1. Aims
The common aims shared by these bodies are:
- To ensure that all RDI activities undertaken in the URV are carried out in accordance with European methodological, ethical and legal requirements, without prejudice to the reports that may be issued by the university's legal service, when so required by general or university regulations. Each body acts within its own sphere of competence.
- To ensure that all RDI activities successfully pass the required ethical evaluations.
- To show evidence to the pertinent authorities that the above objectives have been met.
The Office of the Vice-Rector responsible for scientific policy has to ensure the correct operation of these research and innovation ethics bodies.
2.2. Scope
The scope of the above-mentioned bodies includes all the RDI activities carried out in the URV involving the actions specified below:
1. The objective of the Research and Innovation Ethics Committee (CERI) is to ensure ethical practices in the RDI activities undertaken in the URV, as well as facilitating and coordinating the evaluation and monitoring efforts of the ethics bodies.
2. The scope of action of the evaluation and monitoring committees includes the following activities:
a) Drug Research Ethics Committee (CEIm-IISPV): biomedical research on human beings, including:
i. Research projects using personal data on Health, observational studies or human biological samples.
ii. Clinical drug trials
iii. Clinical research on medical devices
iv. Post-authorisation observational studies with drugs.
b) Animal Research Ethics Committee (CEEA): use of animals in experiments and for other scientific purposes, including teaching. This committee works in collaboration with the IISPV.
c) Ethics Committee for Research into People, Society and the Environment (CEIPSA): Evaluation of RDI activities involving:
i. Human beings (including the processing of personal data)
ii. The use of biological organisms, genetically modified organisms and entailing significant risk factors for people, society and the environment
iii. The study of social and environmental issues and phenomena
If the research involves the processing of personal health data, the CEIm-IISPV has to ensure that the activity is subject to assessment and monitoring. If the research entails the use of genetically modified animals, it needs to be assessed and overseen by the CEEA.
3. The Research and Innovation Ethics Committee (CEIR) deals with any actions or behaviour that are contrary to the general principles and requirements established in the European Charter for Researchers, which apply to both personnel (teaching and research staff, as well as administrative and service staff) and to the URV as a whole.
