Overview

The General/Human Research Ethics Committee (GHREC) is dedicated to the ethical review of all general / human-related research at the University of the Free State. It does not include human health-related research. It is comprised of members from all the  faculties as well as other disciplines to ensure a broad representation. All ethical clearance applications submitted to the GHREC are reviewed by ethics reviewers. Reviewers make recommendations on the outcome of the application (Approved, Conditional Approval, Modifications Required, or Disapproved) based on the ethical issues arising from the study. These recommendations will either be ratified or overturned by the ethics committee during one of their monthly meetings, after which the relevant personnel will communicate the outcome to the researcher/applicant/ PI.

GHREC Composition

• Chair
  
• Vice-Chair
  
• Academic representatives from each faculty
  
• Legally qualified members
  
• Members with expertise in professional care and counselling
  
• Members with expertise in qualitative/quantitative research methodologies
  
• Statistician
  
• Lay members from the community outside of the university
  
• Ethicist
  
• Administrator

GHREC Meeting Dates 2019

28 February 2019

29 March 2019

26 April 2019

30 May 2019

27 June 2019

25 July 2019

29 August 2019

26 September 2019

31 October 2019

28 November 2019

Please note: All applications must be returned to the GHREC office by the 15th of each month to make the agenda for the current month's meeting date.

Please note: GHREC reviews applications from all faculties, except the Faculty of Health Science (FHS). As a result, different faculties may have different submission deadlines. For faculty-specific dates, please contact the relevant research administrator/coordinator within the faculty.

The Humanities                                          
Charné Vercueil
VercueilCC@ufs.ac.za
+ 27 51 401 7083

Education
Beverley Wilcock 
WilcockB@ufs.ac.za


Economic and Management Sciences
Igna Du Plooy
Duplooyi@ufs.ac.za
+27 51 401 9064

Theology and Religion
Ronel Ellis
EllisPJ@ufs.ac.za
+27 501 401 2349

Natural and Agricultural Science/ GHREC administrator
Amanda Smith
SmithAM@ufs.ac.za
+27 51 401 3942

Law-related queries can be directed to the GHREC administrator