Research governance

Research Governance Team

The Research Governance Team is available to advise University of Bristol staff and students on how to set up and conduct research projects that involve human participants, their tissue and/or data.

We provide guidance, support and training to help researchers through the regulatory complexities involved in the set-up of a study. If you would like to get in touch with us, please email: research-governance@bristol.ac.uk.

Face to Face research and COVID-19

For the latest information on conducting in-person research with human participants please see our COVID-19 guidance.

Ethical reviews

An ethical review is mandatory for any research that involves human participants, their tissue and/or data.

Depending on the specific nature of the study, reviews are carried out by your faculty or school's Research Ethics Committee (REC) or the appropriate external body.

Get started with ethical reviews.

Preventing harm in research (safeguarding)

T‌he UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR) defines harm as: any sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment of research participants, communities and research staff, plus any broader forms of violence, exploitation and abuse relevant to research such as bullying, psychological abuse and/or physical violence.

Read our safeguarding policy.