Who reviews my application?

All applications will be reviewed by at least one relevant member of the PREC

Applications requiring the review of at least two committee members involve any of the following (extracted from the ESRC's Research Ethics Framework):

• research involving vulnerable groups – for example, children and young people, those with a learning disability or cognitive impairment, or individuals in a dependent or unequal relationship
• research involving sensitive topics – for example participants' sexual behaviour, their illegal or political behaviour, their experience of violence, their abuse or exploitation, their mental health, or their gender or ethnic status
• research involving groups where permission of a gatekeeper is normally required for initial access to members – for example, ethnic or cultural groups, native peoples or indigenous communities
• research involving deception or which is conducted without participants' (or participants' legal guardians') full and informed consent at the time the study is carried out
• research involving access to records of personal or confidential information, including genetic or other biological information, concerning identifiable individuals
• research which would induce psychological stress, anxiety or humiliation or cause more than minimal pain
• research involving intrusive interventions – for example, the administration of drugs or other substances, vigorous physical exercise, or techniques such as hypnotherapy
• research involving use of assessment procedures which may unveil psychological or physical problems of which your participants might be unaware and which may endanger their present or future well-being (e.g., clinical tools such as MMSE, ACE-R, HADS or other standard tests used as clinical screens).

PREC members may not review any application with which they are associated.