Institutional Human Ethics Committee (IHEC)

Background

As per the Goa University Guidelines for Academic Ethics, experiments involving cell lines, stem cell research and human subjects come under the purview of the University Institutional Human Ethics Committee (IHEC) which shall function based on the 2017 Guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The broad objectives, guidelines and forms for submission of the proposal and form for obtaining the Informed Consent from participants are provided below.

Objectives

To review all Social and Behavioural Sciences Research Proposals involving Human Participants received from the on-campus departments/schools for ethical clearance. The Social and Behavioural Sciences to name a few include Anthropology, Communications, Economics, Education, History, Psychology, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology.

To recommend to Directorate of Research Development and Resource Mobilisation (D-RDRM), the workshops to be organised to sensitize the research scholars on General Ethical Principles and Ethical Issues for Social and Behavioural Sciences Research.

Guidelines

All Researchers are expected to go through the 'Resources' before submitting the research proposal for ethical clearance.

Research Proposals requiring IHEC approval will be accepted in the DRDRM Office from the 1st to 15th of every month. The Research Proposal should be submitted as per the format specified in GU_IHEC_Approval_Request Form.

The proposals received will be screened by a sub-committee of DRDRM before sending for IHEC Clearance.

The IHEC meetings will be held once a month for reviewing old proposals and approving the new proposals cleared by DRDRM. A maximum of two new research proposals will be taken up during a meeting to enable the committee to do proper justice to the proposals submitted.

The Researchers / P.I’s will be requested to present before the IHEC members the sensitive areas of the research proposal requiring interaction with Human Participants.

Forms

Checklist for Screening Research Proposals

GU-IHEC Approval Request Form

GU-IHEC Informed Consent Form

Members

Prof. Ajit Parulekar, Director, Goa Institute of Management, Sattari, Goa - Chairperson

Dr. Gopalkrishna Rao, Principal, Goa College of Pharmacy, Panaji, Goa - Member

Dr. Anura Bale, Principal, Bharateeya Sanskriti Probodhini's Gomantak Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya & Research Centre, Shiroda, Goa - Member

Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Goa University - Ex-officio Member

Dean, Manohar Parrikar School of Law, Governance & Public Policy, Goa University - Ex-officio Member

Dr. Walter Menezes, School of Sanskrit, Philosophy and Indic Studies, Goa University - Member

Shri Damodar Mauzo, Jnanpith Awardee, Goa - Member

Prof. Jyoti Pawar, Goa Business School, Goa University - Coordinator, IHEC

Director, D-RDRM, Goa University - Member Secretary

Resources/Talks

Resources:

Social and Behavioural Sciences Research

General Ethical Principles

General Ethical Issues

Informed Consent Process

Talks organised

"The Ethical Treatment of Research Subjects" - The lecture delivered by Prof. Siby K George on 29 Jan 2021.

Important Videos:

Presentation on ICMR Ethics Guidelines