At the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, research governance ensures that our work meets the highest standards of integrity, quality, and impact. It encompasses the regulations, processes, and best practices that guide our research, fostering a robust and supportive environment for innovation and discovery.
Our governance efforts focus on continuously enhancing our research culture, enabling the production of high-quality research with meaningful impact. At the School level, this includes:
- Supporting key research staff in their roles
- Ensuring the effectiveness of our research committees and groups
- Overseeing critical areas such as REF2029, research budgeting, and ethics approvals
By embedding strong governance principles, we create a foundation for excellence in research that benefits our academic community and the wider world.
The sections below provide information on our
- Key Research Governance Staff
- Research Governance Committee structure
- Research Ethics Approval
- Research Policies
- Research support teams across the University
Research Committees / Subgroups
At the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, research is at the heart of everything we do. To support our mission of transforming health in the service of others, our Research Committee structure provides strategic oversight, ensuring that our research environment is dynamic, inclusive, and impactful.
The committees and groups below play a key role in shaping and supporting research across the School.
- SMMSN Research Committee
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This is the SMMSN strategy committee which guides and supports the School’s overall research objectives.
The remit of the group includes
- Developing, and driving strategy across the School’s research activities to meet targets and KPIs.
- Contributing to institutional consultations on policies, initiatives and strategic research planning.
- Disseminating new and revised research policies to assist implementation across the School.
- Providing strategic oversight of the School’s Impact agenda, via REF Steering Group.
- Receiving annual reports from key research groups/centres on significant research activities within the School.
- Monitoring success of research grant applications to external income programmes and grant support mechanisms
- Oversight of preparations for Research Excellence Framework (REF) and other research performance exercises
Chair: The Committee is chaired by the Director of Research
Membership: Membership of the committee is SMMSN Head of School; SMMSN Registrar; Institute Director or Institute Research Lead from the five Institutes; SMMSN – Lead for Postgraduate Research; SMMSN – PPI Lead; SMMSN – Chair of School Ethics Review Board; SMMSN – Chair of Laboratory Sustainability Group; Research Development Executive; Technology Transfer Executive – RKI; SMMSN Enterprise & Entrepreneurship Champion; School Research Manager
The committee is administered by the School Research Manager.
Contact: rmcgregor@abdn.ac.uk
- SMMSN REF Steering Group
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The REF (Research Excellence Framework) Steering Group is the senior management working group of SMMSN, responsible for directing and operationalizing the School’s preparation for REF Assessment.
The remit of the group includes:
- Overall, to plan, direct, and operationalize preparations for REF assessment.
- To plan and direct a continuous survey of REF Outputs; to monitor and analyze the development of the School’s Outputs portfolio.
- To plan and direct a continuous survey of REF Impacts; to monitor and analyze the development of the School’s Impact portfolio.
- To make strategic investment decisions regarding the use of School and University resources for enhancing the School’s Outputs and Impact.
- To develop an evolving perspective on the School’s REF Units of Assessment submission strategy, in collaboration with other relevant REF Leads and Committees within the University.
- To make strategic decisions regarding the profile of research-active staff submissions to REF Assessment.
- To lead the development of an overarching School strategy that will inform the strategic descriptions central to REF People, Culture & Environment statements and guide research investment from the Research Excellence Grant (REG) assigned to the School.
Chair: The Committee is chaired by the Director of Research.
Membership: Membership of the committee includes the SMMSN Head of School, SMMSN Registrar, Institute Directors (five Institutes), SMMSN Unit of Assessment Group Leads (2), SMMSN Impact Leads (2), SMMSN PCE Lead, and the School Research Manager.
The committee is administered by the School Research Manager.
Contact: rmcgregor@abdn.ac.uk
- School Ethics Review Board (SERB)
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SERB is the School Ethics Review Board, for the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition.
As part of the University's requirements for research governance, all research involving human participants or biological samples requires approval from a research ethics committee. SERB (the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition Ethics Review Board) has been established to ensure that all research carried out by staff and students in the School is reviewed by an appropriate ethics committee.
Key contacts
- General enquiries: SMMSN Ethics Review Board
- Chair: Professor Gareth Jones
- Vice-chair: Dr James Ross
- Clerk: Dr Katie Crosley
- PGR Management Group
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As above
- Patient Partner Involvement Group
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As above
- SMMSN Laboratory Sustainability Group
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As above
Research Support Teams
There is support and information available to SMMSN Staff from across the University, the links below will take you to some of the key areas which you may find helpful.
Enterprise & Innovation support, guidance and information for staff within the University.