Isle of Man Research Ethics Committee (IOMREC)
Members wanted for the IOMREC
Public Health Isle of Man is seeking new members for the IOMREC!
This is a unique and exciting opportunity for anyone with a passion for research in health and social care. You must be someone who recognises the need for ethical standards in research which respect the dignity, rights, safety and wellbeing of the people who take part.
With vacancies for expert and lay members, applications are invited from those with or without prior experience of working in the fields of health and social care or research.
Positions are voluntary, but expenses may be claimed for travel to meetings. Training in research ethics will be provided. We have a positive approach to diversity and encourage applications from all sections of the community.
For full details of the voluntary positions see information for applicants and the application form in downloadable documents.
Additionally for more information on the role, please contact the Head of Research Governance and Regulation, Dr Rebecca Rowley on +44 1624 642177 or research.enquiries@gov.im
The closing date for applications is 4 June 2023. Interviews will be held weeks commencing 12 and 19 June 2023.
Quicklinks
The Isle of Man Research Ethics Committee (IOMREC) provides independent advice to Public Health, Cabinet Office on the extent to which proposals for research studies comply with recognised ethical standards.
The purpose of the IOMREC is to review proposed health and social care research applications which are deemed to require ethical review, in order to protect the dignity, rights, safety and wellbeing of all actual or potential research participants.
Following consideration of each research application, the IOMREC provides a ‘Favourable’ or an ‘Unfavourable’ opinion on the extent to which the research proposals comply with ethical standards.
The Research Governance and Regulation Team (Public Health) is available to provide advice and guidance to researchers from pre-application stage through to IOMREC review, in order to ensure that the process is as efficient and effective as possible. Send email
IOMREC meetings & membership
The IOMREC has up to 12 members, comprising of Expert and Lay Members, all of whom are volunteers. Members are appointed for a period of 5 years and meetings are held up to 10 times a year. There are currently 10 members of the IOMREC as set out below.
Table: IOMREC membership details
| Name | Membership | Category of membership* | Appointment date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Frize | Chair | Lay + | Apr 2023 |
| Nicci Igoea | Vice-Chair | Lay | Jul 2018 |
| David Neilan | Member | Expert | Jul 2018 |
| Rich Sille | Member | Expert | Oct 2021 |
| Karen Duffy | Member | Lay + | Oct 2021 |
| Marie Weale | Member | Lay + | Oct 2021 |
| Adam Dempsey | Member | Lay | Oct 2021 |
| Shelley Flowers | Member | Lay + | Oct 2021 |
*Category of IOMREC membership
- Expert: Is currently registered as a defined health care professional; has relevant professional qualifications or experience, or has previously been a registered medical practitioner or dentist
- Lay: Is not an expert member but has previously been registered as a defined health care professional or has previously been involved in defined health / social care activities
- Lay +: Is not an expert member and does not fall into the category of Lay member
How to submit a research proposal to the IOMREC for approval
There are a number of key stages (1-6) in the application process, from submitting a research proposal to receiving approval. Please see the Research, Governance & Regulation (RGR) website for the full application process.
Timetable for submission of research proposals for IOMREC review
Meetings of the IOMREC scheduled in 2023 are set out below. If a research application is to be reviewed by the IOMREC (i.e. Stage 5) then sufficient time must be built into the researcher’s timetable in advance of submission dates, to allow the preceding Stages 1 to 4 to be completed.
Stages 1-4 can take approximately 12 weeks. This timeframe may be more or less, depending on the nature and content of the proposal and the amount of additional work, if any, required from the researcher before the application can be submitted to the IOMREC.
Therefore, it is suggested applications are submitted through the Integrated Ethics Portal (IEP) 6 weeks before the target IOMREC meeting. This should allow sufficient time for RGR review and time for the committee members to review the application prior to the meeting.
| Suggested deadline for research proposal submission for RGR and IOMREC Approval | IOMREC Meeting Dates |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 29 November 2022 | Tuesday 10 January 2023 |
| Tuesday 27 December 2022 | Tuesday 7 February 2023 |
| Tuesday 24 January 2023 | Tuesday 7 March 2023 |
| Tuesday 21 February 2023 | Tuesday 4 April 2023 |
| Tuesday 21 March 2023 | Tuesday 2 May 2023 |
| Tuesday 2 May 2023 | Tuesday 13 June 2023 |
| Tuesday 30 June 2023 | Tuesday11 July 2023 |
| No August meeting | No August meeting |
| Tuesday 25 July 2023 | Tuesday 5 September 2023 |
| Tuesday 22 August 2023 | Tuesday 3 October 2023 |
| Tuesday 26 September 2023 | Tuesday 7 November 2023 |
| Tuesday 24 October 2023 | Tuesday 5 December 2023 |
IOMREC annual reports and governance documents
Isle of Man Research Ethics Committee (IOMREC) Annual Report 2022
This report provides a breakdown of activities undertaken by the IOMREC during meetings held in 2022.
Governance for the Isle of Man Research Ethics Committee
This document describes the governance arrangements for the Research Ethics Committee (REC) and is a policy document of Public Health within the Cabinet Office.
Reviewed: May 2023
