UCSC Ethics Review Committee (UCSC-ERC)

Staff members and students (undergraduate or graduate) of UCSC.

Note: A study shall involve at least one permanent academic staff member of UCSC.

Research that pertains to computing and includes human participants, or research that holds substantial socio-cultural and political implications or conflicts of interest.

Please note that UCSC-ERC does not assess studies that involve clinical trials or animals. Applicants must seek ethical approval for such research from an appropriate and specialized ERC, such as the Medical Faculty ERC of UoC. Any study that has received ethical approval from an external ERC must inform the UCSC-ERC by submitting copies of the relevant documentation.

• Analysis of pre-existing data obtained from public sources or published literature.
• Surveys or questionnaires that do not collect any identifying information from participants and are entirely anonymous. However, if there is any potential risk to participants or sensitive questions are asked, ethical review may still be needed.
  Studies conducted solely for educational purposes as part of classroom assignments or teaching activities, especially if they involve minimal risk and do not aim for generalizable knowledge.
• Evaluations of programs or interventions carried out for the purpose of assessing their effectiveness, without the intent to contribute to generalizable knowledge. However, ethical
  considerations should still be taken into account when interacting with participants.
• Studies that collect data from participants through anonymous online platforms, where participants cannot be identified. However, if there are potential risks to participants, a review is still advisable.

Note: The UCSC-ERC is not permitted to pre-determine whether an ethical review is necessary. The responsibility lies with the research entity to decide whether to submit an initial application.

The applicant has the option to either submit an initial application for smaller studies, such as undergraduate projects with negligible ethical implications, or directly proceed with the detailed application for studies with significant ethical ramifications. Following the assessment of the initial application, the committee will determine whether to request a detailed application.

Submitting the initial application

• Duly completed initial application form
• Checklist of contents, signed by the Principal Investigator (or supervisor in the case of a supervised student project)
• Information sheets, consent forms, assent forms and data collection booklets/forms/questionnaires, where necessary in all three languages. Please note it is mandatory to include the following at the bottom of the information sheet: “This project has been approved by the Ethics Review Committee, University of Colombo School of Computing. You may contact the committee if you wish to seek clarifications, record any concerns or make complaints about the study by calling 0112581245 extension xxx (between 9am and 4pm) or by sending an email to ethics@ucsc.cmb.ac.lk”.
• A brief curriculum vitae of each investigator (note: providing a comprehensive account of any prior experience pertaining to similar studies conducted by the investigator, if applicable, is necessary)
• Other related documents as applicable
• A receipt for the appropriate payment to the accounts department

Submitting the detailed application

• Duly completed detailed application form
• Checklist of contents, signed by the Principal Investigator (or supervisor in the case of a supervised student project)
• The detailed research protocol, which must be correctly numbered and paginated
• Information sheets, consent forms, assent forms and data collection booklets/forms/questionnaires, where necessary in all three languages. Please note it is mandatory to include the following at the bottom of the information sheet: “This project has been approved by the Ethics Review Committee, University of Colombo School of Computing. You may contact the committee if you wish to seek clarifications, record any concerns or make complaints about the study by calling 0112581245 extension xxx (between 9am and 4pm) or by sending an email to ethics@ucsc.cmb.ac.lk”.
• Ethics approval from sponsoring country or country of the overseas investigator (if any)
• A brief curriculum vitae of each investigator (note: providing a comprehensive account of any prior experience pertaining to similar studies conducted by the investigator, if applicable, is necessary)
• Other related documents as applicable
• A receipt for the appropriate payment to the accounts department

Note: All the above documents must be submitted as a soft copy (PDF format) and a hard copy. The title of the research project must be displayed as a heading at the top of the front page on each of these documents.

• Externally funded project: Rs. 10,000/=
• Non-funded or internally funded staff project: 5,000/=
• Postgraduate student project: Rs. 5,000/=
• Undergraduate student project (external): Rs. 3,000/=
• Undergraduate student project (internal): Free

Note: Fees once paid will not be refunded.

• To the Postgraduate, Research & Project Division of UCSC during the working days/time and by attaching as PDF documents to ethics@ucsc.cmb.ac.lk
• The deadline for receiving the completed application is 12 noon on the last working day of each month, by which time the complete application must be received at the office.

The lead investigator presents the complete research proposal to the ethics review committee (ERC). The ERC conducts an initial screening to ensure the proposal meets all submission requirements and is comprehensive. In cases of incomplete submissions, the proposal may be returned to the researchers for further revision. There are instances when the committee may suggest that the researchers approach a different ERC if the study falls beyond the scope of UCSC-ERC.

The committee then assigns one or more reviewers to meticulously analyze the research proposal, focusing on ethical considerations, potential risks to participants, adherence to ethical guidelines, procedures for informed consent, data privacy measures, and other pertinent ethical aspects. Reviewers offer feedback and recommendations to the researchers, prompting them to make any necessary revisions to address ethical concerns and improve the proposal.

Certain proposals, particularly those involving vulnerable groups or intricate ethical dilemmas, may warrant a comprehensive review by the entire ethics committee. Following the resolution of any concerns and implementation of required revisions, the proposal undergoes a final evaluation, where the committee decides whether to grant full approval, approve with minor adjustments, request significant revisions, or reject the proposal outright.

Upon approval, the committee issues an ethical clearance certificate, affirming that the research has undergone rigorous ethical scrutiny and has been deemed ethically sound. In specific cases, the ethics review committee may mandate continuous monitoring of the research to ensure ongoing compliance with ethical standards, necessitating regular progress reports from the researchers.

The ethics review committee meticulously maintains records of all reviewed proposals, decisions made, and correspondence pertaining to each study, ensuring a comprehensive and organized review process. The duration of the review process typically ranges from one to three months.

• This is an official letter issued by the ERC to researchers or principal investigators (PIs) indicating that their research proposal has been reviewed and found to be ethically acceptable. This certificate serves as evidence that the study has met the ethical standards and principles necessary to protect the rights, safety, and well-being of the research participants.
• The certificate includes the following information: Study Title, Principal Investigator, Institutional Affiliation (where the research is conducted), Approval Reference Number, Dates (the date of approval/clearance and the validity period), Conditions/Requirements (if any, enforced by the ERC), Reviewing Committee Information, Expiration Date, and Signature of the Chair.
• This certificate is valid only for one year from the date of approval/clearance. This approval relates to the ethical content of the study only, and the investigator/s are responsible to obtain any other relevant approval.
• If the study is continued for a period beyond one year, the applicant is required to furnish an annual progress report for the year and an application for the extension of approval by a further year. The ERC will issue such extension after consideration of the progress report and any other information it may require from the applicant for this purpose.

The following documents are attached to this application:

• Evidence of approval from Government departments, institutions, or businesses, including comments and requested alterations to the application.
• Research with people outside Sri Lanka: Evidence of permissions, approvals from overseas authorities, etc
• Participant Information Statement: either as an information sheet, verbal script, or survey preamble.
• Consent Form for a participant in a research project (written consent is required for the majority of projects).
• Consent by a Third Party to Participation Form (required where participants are children under 18 years or a dependent adult).
• Other recruitment documentation including advertisements, flyers, recruitment letters, emails of introduction, copy of Facebook event pages and social media event sites.
• Procedure/protocol for interviews or focus groups including topics, questions or themes.
• Survey Instrument/Questionnaire (include a printed copy of on-line survey).
• Proposal to access information protected by the Privacy Act 1988 Sections 95 and 95A
• Adverse events procedure.

You  may contact the committee by  sending an email to ethics@ucsc.cmb.ac.lk.