Isle of Man Research Ethics Committee (IOMREC)
Quicklinks
- IOMREC meetings & membership
- How to submit a research proposal to the IOMREC for approval
- Timetable for submission of research proposals for IOMREC review
- IOMREC annual reports and governance documents
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-23 |
| Brian Faragher | Vice-Chair | Expert | Jul-23 |
| Karen Duffy | Member | Lay + | Oct-21 |
| Marie Weale | Member | Lay + | Oct-21 |
| Adam Dempsey | Member | Lay | Oct-21 |
| Shelley Flowers | Member | Lay + | Oct-21 |
| Julie Hotchkiss | Member | Expert | Jul-23 |
| Lee Derbyshire | Member | Expert | Jul-23 |
| Dhekra AlNaqeb | Member | Expert | Jul-23 |
| Karen Beirne | Member | Expert | Jul-23 |
| Gemma Donnelly | Member | Lay | Jul-23 |
*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 28 November 2023 | Tuesday 9 January 2024 |
| Tuesday 26 December 2023 | Tuesday 6 February 2024 |
| Tuesday 23 January 2024 | Tuesday 5 March 2024 |
| Tuesday 20 February 2024 | Tuesday 2 April 2024 |
| Tuesday 26 March 2024 | Tuesday 7 May 2024 |
| Tuesday 30 April 2024 | Tuesday 11 June 2024 |
| Tuesday 28 May 2024 | Tuesday 9 July 2024 |
| No August meeting | No August meeting |
|
Tuesday 23 July 2024 |
Tuesday 3 September 2024 |
| Tuesday 20 August 2024 | Tuesday 1 October 2024 |
| Tuesday 24 September 2024 | Tuesday 5 November 2024 |
| Tuesday 22 October 2023 | Tuesday 3 December 2024 |
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
