University Advisory Group on Research Ethics and Governance

Research Governance at the University of Aberdeen is overseen by the Advisory Group on Research Ethics and Governance (AGREG).

The composition of the Advisory Group is flexible, but should include:

  • A Vice-Principal (Convenor)
  • Director of Research of each College
  • One representative nominated by each College
  • One postgraduate student (nominated by the Student Association)

The remit of the University’s Advisory Group on Research Ethics and Governance is:

  1. To develop policy and guidance on research governance and ethical issues.
  2. To have oversight of all research-related ethical issues within the University and to ensure that appropriate structures are in place to encourage best practice.
  3. To maintain an interaction with the National Research Ethics Service (NRES) Committee North of Scotland (formerly the NHS Grampian Research Ethics Committee).
  4. To report to the University Committee for Research, Income Generation and Commercialisation on research governance and ethical issues.

The Group will monitor the University’s research governance and ethical performance regularly to ensure that it remains consistent with the requirements of the various funding bodies, and will seek to promote best practice across the institution. It will also co-ordinate the annual return of the Research Council UK (RCUK) Research Conduct Survey.

The Group will also consider questions of principle and difficult cases, and provide policy and quality assurance guidance. Any serious research-related ethical concern that is not covered by the remit of local ethical review groups / arrangements should be referred to the Group.