In accordance with Section 72 of the National Health Act (Act No. 61 of 2003) and the latest South African Ethics in Health Research Guidelines (NDoH 2024), all researchers are required to complete ethics training before commencing any research involving human participants, animals, or biohazardous materials. These national guidelines ensure that research conducted in South Africa meets the highest standards of ethical integrity, scientific merit, and participant protection.

To support this requirement, the University of the Free State (UFS) has developed a series of interactive training videos, using avatars to present key concepts in an engaging and accessible format.

Each ethics committee page includes

• training videos tailored to the specific ethics category; and
• supporting documentation to deepen your understanding.

Research ethics at the UFS is structured according to the following ethics committees:

1. Animal Research Ethics Committee (AREC)
2. Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee (HSREC)
3. General/Human Research Ethics Committee (GHREC)
4. Environment and Bio-Safety Research Ethics Committee (EBREC)

Please select the appropriate committee page to begin your training. By completing the required modules, you contribute to a culture of responsible, ethical, and impactful research at the UFS.

Contact me

Boemo Segoje
Officer: RIMS, Ethics and Creative Outputs
T: +27 51 401 7619
E: SegojeBC@ufs.ac.za

Johannes Brill Building, First Floor, Bloemfontein Campus