Welcome to the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences - Ethics Office 

The current NWU policy requires all research to be subjected to independent ethics review.  This includes all MSc and PhD student research and any funded or unfunded research undertaken by staff and post-doctoral associates.
No research can start without an ethics number as proof of the ethics review. The responsibility of the ethics review lies with the principal investigator or the student's primary supervisor.
Several research ethics committees (REC) are available to review proposals. The decision on where to submit your application is influenced by the research topic and the potential risk level.
The FNAS Research Ethics Committee (FNASREC) deals with all research in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences with zero or low risk where the research topics do not fall in the scope of one of the other committees, including HREC, Animcare, and Animprod.
Research with a health-related theme or that will be published in health-related journals and/or will be used to inform health-related policy needs to be reviewed by the Health Research Ethics Committee (HREC). If unsure of the nature of your study, use this decision key. All research involving animal subjects should be submitted to AnimCare or AnimProd for review.
If you are unsure of which research ethics committee you need to apply to, the scope for the different committees is outlined on this site. All small project applications related to a large study previously approved by an NWU REC should be submitted to the same REC for review.
When preparing a scientific proposal for an ethics review committee, highlighting key dimensions that showcase the ethical considerations of your study is crucial. These dimensions ensure that your research respects the rights, safety, dignity, and well-being of the participants.
Remember that the ethics review process will not prevent you from doing research. Still, it will require that you adequately motivate your study, and if there are risks, that the potential benefits clearly outweigh them.
FNASREC only review studies with no or low risk to humans or the environment. If your study has medium or high risk, it can still be done, but you will have to apply to a registered ethics committee in the NWU. FNASREC also does not review studies with health-related themes. You can still do this kind of study, but they will have to be reviewed by HREC or Animcare. Health-related research refers to any research conducted by disciplines other than health disciplines about topics or participants within the health field or investigating or striving to improve the bio-psycho-social well-being of human or animal participants. Research focusing on health infrastructure also falls under this definition.

1. Study Purpose and Rationale: Clearly articulate the objectives of your research, its significance, and how it contributes to the broader field of knowledge. Explain why this research is important and justify the need for the study.
2. Population Description: If you use human subjects in your research, describe the target population for your study, including any specific inclusion or exclusion criteria. Highlight the characteristics that make this population relevant to your research objectives.
3. Sampling Strategy: If you use human subjects, detail your approach to selecting participants, including the type of sampling method (e.g., random, stratified, purposive) and the rationale behind this choice. Explain how this strategy will help achieve a representative sample of the population. The ethics committee might ask the question if the potential benefits from the study are fairly distributed, for example, do you give everyone a fair chance to participate in the study.
4. Negotiating Access: If you need access to a community or property, outline the steps you will take to gain access to the population or data. This includes any permissions required from institutions, communities, or individuals and how you plan to address potential access challenges.
5. Informed Consent: Describe the process for obtaining informed consent from participants, ensuring they understand the purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, and their rights within the study. Include how consent will be documented and the measures taken to ensure comprehension for participants with varying levels of literacy or language proficiency.
6. Confidentiality and Anonymity: Detail the measures you will implement to protect participants' confidentiality and anonymity. Explain how data will be stored, who will have access to it, and how long it will be retained before being securely destroyed.
7. Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Assess any potential risks to participants or the environment arising from the research and how these risks will be minimized. This includes physical, psychological, social, or legal risks. The risks can also be to the researchers themselves, like safety. Reputational risk to the NWU should also be considered. If the topic is sensitive, this will change the risk level of the study.
8. Benefits of the Research: If you have a low-risk study, it is important to discuss the potential benefits of your research, both to the participants and the wider community or field of study. Highlight how the study aims to contribute positively to the area of research.
9. Data Handling and Analysis: Explain how data will be collected, processed, and analysed, ensuring transparency in your methodologies and respect for participants' data.
10. Withdrawal Procedure: If your study has human participants, outline the process for participants to withdraw from the study, ensuring they understand their right to discontinue participation at any time without penalty.
11. Complaints Procedure: Include a procedure for participants to raise concerns or complaints about the study, ensuring there is a clear path for addressing ethical issues.
12. NWU data or participants: If the study uses data from the NWU, or uses NWU students or staff as research subjects, permission from the NWU gatekeeper will be required. If you will use existing datasets, mention it.
13. Ethical Considerations for Vulnerable Groups: If your study involves vulnerable populations (e.g., children, individuals with disabilities, or marginalized communities), the risk level is higher than minimal, and the study will have to be reviewed by a registered committee.

Addressing these dimensions thoroughly demonstrates to the ethics review committee your commitment to conducting ethical research that respects and protects your participants, which is fundamental to the integrity of the scientific process.

SCOPE OF NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY SCIENTIFIC- AND RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEES