The ethics office from the Directorate of Research Development (DRD) department at the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted a successful Ethics Reviewers Committee Function with ethics administrators, ethics committee reviewers, and members from the four institutional ethics committees present.

The General Human Research Ethics Committee (GHREC), Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee (HSREC), Animal Research Ethics Committee (AREC), and the Environment and Biosafety Research Ethics Committee (EBREC), as well as the Senate Research Ethics Committee (SREC), attended the event on 28 November 2024 at the Equitas Building on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Dr Glen Taylor, Senior Director of DRD, welcomed the guests and explained the purpose of the event, highlighting appreciation for the efforts of the research ethics committees. It was divided into two parts, starting with workshop presentations, followed by the appreciation function.

Said Dr Taylor: “I have personally seen how the research ethics committee’s input has transformed research. The purpose of the ethics reviewers’ function is to appreciate the long hours and relentless perseverance and sacrifice of the reviewers.”

The four chairpersons of the different ethics committees, Dr Adri du Plessis (GHREC), Dr Claire Armour (HSREC), Prof Walter Janse van Rensburg (AREC) and Prof Robert Bragg (EBREC), delivered insightful presentations on the best practices of their respective research ethics committees. In their presentations, the chairpersons also highlighted the different, but also some similar, challenges that each ethics committee faces in evaluating research across a multitude of disciplines.

Maricél van Rooyen, Research Ethics Adviser in the DRD, presented a talk on behalf of Prof Paul Grobler, Head of the Department of Genetics and member of the Animal Research Ethics Committee (AREC), who could not attend the occasion, on the importance of scientific review and evaluation of research, prior to ethics clearance, and the impact that it can have on the ethics review process. There was a cocktail function after the formalities as a token of appreciation for the reviewers.

“DRD is grateful for the dedication and hard work of the ethics reviewers. The time and effort they invest does not go unnoticed. Ethics committees play a crucial role in ensuring researchers adhere to ethical standards. By upholding key ethical norms, researchers can identify and conduct good, desirable, and acceptable research,” said Dr Taylor.

The SREC decided to make the Ethics Reviewers Committee Function an annual event for the ethics committee reviewers to show appreciation.