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Research Governance

The University has wide-ranging research governance arrangements, from the institutional level across to the Colleges and Schools. At University level, responsibility for overseeing and advising on research governance arrangements lies with the Advisory Group on Research Ethics and Governance. Its remit is:

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

Any queries relating to research governance at an institutional level should be directed to the Clerk of the Group, Iain Grant (Policy Advisor for Research), i.grant@abdn.ac.uk, in the first instance.

Key Documentation

The University has a broad over-arching Framework for Research Governance which provides a detailed overview of all key research governance arrangements in place within the institution.

The Framework can be accessed below, along with a number of appended policy and guideline documents which are key to the University’s research governance arrangements and processes.

Framework for Research Governance (without appendices)

Appendix 1	Research Governance: Internal and External Policies, Guidelines and Codes
Appendix 2	The University Strategic Plan 2011-2015
Appendix 3	The University Policy and Guidelines on Good Research Conduct and the University Statement on the Handling of Allegations of Unacceptable Research Conduct
Appendix 4	The University Research Ethics Framework
Appendix 5	The University Peer Review Policy Framework
Appendix 6	The University Policy on Data Protection
Appendix 7	The University Guidelines on Keeping of Research Records
Appendix 8	The University Retention Schedules
Appendix 9	The University Health and Safety Policy
Appendix 10	The University Code of Practice on Whistleblowing

The Framework for Research Governance is reviewed annually. Any comments or queries on this should be directed to Iain Grant, i.grant@abdn.ac.uk, in the first instance.

Research Governance in the Colleges and Disciplines

For further information on research governance arrangements in place within or related to the Colleges and more discipline-specific research, please visit the following pages: