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Animal Research Ethics Committee (AREC)

All research and teaching activities involving animals under the auspices of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg requires ethics clearance from the AREC.

How to Apply?

  • Use the new online Ethics system, Infonetica to submit applications. Find out how here.
  • Applicants can self-register, save, download, and submit their online ethic applications for approval to the various ethics committees
  • It is very important that you first read the Guidelines for completion of applications to Animal Research Ethics Committee
  • Applicants seeking information on the Animal Research Ethics can email to Dept-Secretary-AREC@wits.ac.za or Shaun.Schoeman@wits.ac.za - 011 717 1408 or mmatshepo.taunyane@wits.ac.za - 011 717 1788

Downloads:

Biobanks Ethics Committee

Reviews all applications for the establishment of biobanks and to make recommendations to the HREC (Medical); and to review all research using tissue samples and / or associated data from approved biobanks and make recommendations to the HREC (Medical). 

How to apply?

For enquiries regarding progress or outcome of ethics application contact the Research Administrator – Mrs Tanya Coetzee or Mr Rhulani Mkansi via email: HREC-Medical.BEC@wits.ac.za  or Tel: 011 717 2816/1234

Application Forms:

  • BEC 1 Application: Application for registration of a Biobank/ Biorepository /Databank. BEC 1 applications must be submitted in hard copy (1 x copy of an application form and all the required/supporting documents) at our offices and via e-mail: HREC-Medical.BEC@wits.ac.za *BEC 1 applications are subject to the published monthly closing dates.
  • BEC 2 Application: Application for, storage, retrieval or transfer of biological samples and data at an approved Biobank. Study Ethics Clearance Certificate by the Medical Ethics Committee is required (no BEC 2 applications should be submitted without an Ethics Clearance Certificate and finalised supporting documents). BEC 2 applications must be submitted in hard copy (1 x copy of an application form and all the final required/supporting documents) at our offices and via e-mail: HREC-Medical.BEC@wits.ac.za at any time, i.e. BEC 2 applications are not subject to the published monthly closing dates.

Guidelines and Policies

Downloads

Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical)
  • The Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) (Medical), is an independent committee which provides ethics approval and oversight for all research at the University of a medical nature involving human beings, and has two secretariats with differing roles, one for university-based research for degree and non-degree purposes, based in the PV Tobias Building, and one for complex grant-funded and commercial research, based at the Wits Health Consortium (WHC). Both secretariats form part of HREC (Medical) and are not two separate HRECs (Medical).

How do i apply?

Full HREC Application Form

Application for prospective studies (not for case reports, sub-studies, retrospective record reviews, secondary data analyses, de-identified human biospecimen studies, waivers and amendments)

  • Click here to download the Full application form to be completed and submitted via the ethics online system including supporting documentation.
  • Click and download the HREC (Medical) checklist 2025 and guiding information for full study applications. 
  • Submit online via the Ethics Management System (EMS) https://www.witsethics.co.za/Login.aspx. Applicants can self-register, save, download, and submit their online ethics applications for review to HREC (Medical). The Ethics user guide is available on the link.
  • Retrospective Record Reviews (RRR): Application for studies solely focused on existing data (no new data).
  • To download the Retrospective Record Review application form, click here. 
  • Submit completed RRR application form and required documents via office email: HREC-Medical.ResearchOffice@wits.ac.za.
  • Sub-study and Secondary Data Analysis:  Applications for studies solely focused on interpreting data already collected under an earlier ethic clearance.
  • To download the Sub-study application form, click here.
  • Submit completed Sub-study and Secondary Data Analysis application form and required documents via office email: HREC-Medical.ResearchOffice@wits.ac.za.
  • De-identified Human Biospecimens: Application for studies based on the use of left-over stored human biospecimens
  • To download the De-identified Human Biospecimens Study application form, click here.
  • Submit completed De-identified Human Biospecimens application form and required documents via office email: HREC-Medical.ResearchOffice@wits.ac.za.
  • Case Reports: Application for a case report involving 3 or less participants.

To download the Case study application form, click here.

Submit completed Case report application form and required documents via office email: HREC-Medical.ResearchOffice@wits.ac.za.

  • Waivers: Application for a studies involving review of data in public domain, in vitro laboratory, environmental surveillance and observational studies of people in public places.

To download the Waiver application form, click here.

Submit completed Waiver application form and required documents via office email: HREC-Medical.ResearchOffice@wits.ac.za.

  • Amendments and New Investigators: Application for amendment(s) or addition of investigator(s) to a study which has ethics clearance and is already underway.  

To download the amendment and the new investigator(s) application form, click here.

Note: The checklist/guideline document is attached to the application form.

Submit completed Amendment(s) and New Investigator(s)application form and required documents via office email: HREC-Medical.ResearchOffice@wits.ac.za.

  • Other Submissions: Submissions for renewals, annual recertifications, progress reports, protocol violations, urgent communicable diseases outbreaks etc., should also be submitted via the office email HREC-Medical.ResearchOffice@wits.ac.za. Hard copy submissions are not required.

Consult the HREC Office for submission requirements.

  • Submission Deadlines

The submission deadline for Full Applications is 5pm on the Monday following the HREC (Medical) meeting held on the last Friday of the month (except December – deadline is the last Friday at 5pm before 16th December).

Click here to download the submission and meeting dates document.

Please note: There are no submission deadlines for Retrospective Record Review, Sub-study/Secondary analyses, Case reports, De-identified human biospecimen studies, Waivers, and New investigator and Amendment applications, except for PhDs, as discussed above, which must be submitted by 5pm on the last Monday of the month before the meeting.

PhD Studies

Please note that all HREC applications for PhDs must be reviewed by two members of the HREC and discussed at the monthly meeting regardless of whether they are full applications, retrospective record reviews, waivers, sub-studies or secondary data analyses. We will however provide waivers outside of the committee for the initial literature/scoping review component of the PhD. A full HREC application will however be required for the rest of the PhD. Forms for retrospective record review, sub-studies/secondary analyses or de-identified human biospecimen studies may be used for a PhD application if applicable but will still need to be seen by the full HREC (Medical) following review by two members.

Contact Us

For enquiries regarding the progress or outcome of ethics application contact the Ethics Officers using this central email address: HREC Medical.ResearchOffice@wits.ac.za.

Office address: Faculty of Health Sciences, Phillip Tobias Building, Offices 301-304, 3rd Floor, Corner York Road, and 29 Princess of Wales Terrace, Parktown, 2193.

HREC (Medical) Secretariat for Degree and Non-degree HREC applications:

Rhulani Mkansi, Research Ethics Officer

E-mail: Rhulani.Mkansi@wits.ac.za

Tel: 011 717 1234

 

Tanya Coetzee, Research Ethics Officer

E-mail: Tanya.Coetzee@wits.ac.za

Tel: 011 717 2816

 

Akira Jones, 足球竞彩app排名 Administrative Assistant

E-mail: Akira.Jones@wits.ac.za

Tel: 011 717 2700

 

Rakgadi Mangweta, Ethics Intern

E-mail: Rakgadi.Mangweta@wits.ac.za

Tel: 011 717 2700

 

Mapula Ramaila, Senior Research Ethics Officer

E-mail: Mapula.Ramaila@wits.ac.za

Tel: 011 717 2656

 

Iain Burns, HREC (Medical) and Creative Outputs Administration

E-mail: Iain.Burns@wits.ac.za

Tel: 011 717 1252

 

For additional information and templates, please see downloads below.

 

Grant and commercially funded research applications

All studies involving research grants, funding, budgets, insurances, reimbursements, collaborators, etc., being of medium to high risk to very high risk, go through the WHC-based secretariat due to their obvious complexity, allowing the faculty-based secretariat to deal with all the university-based degree and non-degree studies. The faculty-based research office deals with 50 – 100 applications per month, mainly for under- and postgraduate research but also non-degree-research. The more complex funded projects which fall under the WHC-based secretariat deals with 10-15 applications per month.

Click on the link to apply for funded applications: https://www.witshealth.co.za/Services/Research-Ethics.

Contact us

HREC (Medical) Secretariat for Funded Studies:

 Jennifer Palmer

Tel: (011) 274-9278

E-Mail: jpalmer@witsethics.co.za

 

Kim Mothiba

Tel: (011) 274-9255

E-Mail: kmothiba@witsethics.co.za

 

Ty Reddy

Tel: (011) 274-3353

E-Mail: treddy@witsethics.co.za

 

Nathi Gotora

Tel: (011) 274-9438

E-Mail: ngotora@witsethics.co.za

 

Yvonne Petersen

Tel: (011) 274-39280

E-Mail: ypetersen@witsethics.co.za

 

Vuyiswa Maeki

Tel: (011) 274-9433

E-Mail: vmaeki@witsethics.co.za

 

Michaela Nadasen

Tel: (011) 274-9270

E-Mail: mnadasen@witsethics.co.za

 

 

Human Research Ethics Committee (Non-Medical)

All non-medical research involving human participants conducted under the auspices of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg requires ethics clearance from the Human Research Ethics Committee: Non-Medical (Wits HREC-NM). This includes, but is not limited to, studies involving social, behavioural, economic, and educational research. It may also include health-related research where the well-being of humans is studied outside of clinical settings.

The HREC-NM is formally registered with the South African National Health Research Ethics Council (NHREC) (registration 101114-044). This national registration is a legal requirement and enables the Wits HREC-NM to review all research involving human participants, including studies involving health-related topics and studies with minors.

The Wits HREC-NM helps protect and safeguard the rights, dignity, and safety of everyone involved in research, from the research participants and communities to the researchers themselves. It also actively supports and empowers researchers to uphold the highest ethical standards, advancing knowledge and innovation that promotes responsible research for good.

How to apply?

  • A new online Ethics Management System (EMS) with Ethics User Guide is available on link: https://www.witsethics.co.za/Login.aspx
  • Applicants can self-register, save, download, and submit their online ethic applications for approval to the various ethics committees.

 

Please contact Mokgaetsi Madubanya, mokgaetsi.madubanya@wits.ac.za - 011 717 1408, Shaun Schoeman shaun.schoeman@wits.ac.za - 011 717 1408 or Mmatshepo Taunyane, mmatshepo.taunyane@wits.ac.za - 011 717 1788  for queries.

Downloads 

Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

Biosafety is concerned with the containment methods required when managing parasites, infectious agents and infected or potentially infected animals, tissues or other materials. The purpose is to reduce exposure of laboratory workers, other persons and the outside environment, to potentially hazardous agents.

Four principles of biomedical ethics are generally recognised:

  • autonomy (respect for the person - a notion of human dignity
  • beneficence (benefit to the research participant)
  • non-maleficence (absence of harm to the participant)
  • justice (notably distributive justice - equal distribution of risks and benefits between communities

Worker and public safety is of paramount concern. Workers must be adequately trained and provided with a working environment in which the necessary facilities and equipment are available. If this is done and the guidelines below are observed, risk to the public will be minimised.

When considering research protocols, the Biosafety Committee is involved in various processes, including risk assessment, which would include, but not be limited to:

  • concentration and quantity of organisms
  • stability and viability of organism
  • potential for transmission, by contact or aerosol
  • nature of the work
  • specific risks associated with genetically-modified organisms (GMO s)
  • risk of harmful bi-products
  • risk of unknown contaminants

Downloads

Research Integrity - Wits Policy

The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits, or the University), is a research intensive university that strives for excellence in research as part of the broader scope of scholarly endeavour. Research is understood to be the process of thorough investigation, systematic discovery and/or rigorous analysis that aims to uncover the truth, produce a deeper understanding and/or create new knowledge. 

Ethics in Health Research

Health research is vital for the advancement of health care services for the people of South Africa. Because of its excellent health care and research infrastructure, skills and expertise, South Africa provides a rich arena for health and health-related research.

Click here: Ethics in Health Research Principles, Processes and Structures

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