The College has an overall Ethics code [pdf] which sets out key behaviours which the College expects of all its members in order to facilitate a leading academic community which demonstrates integrity in all its activities, and which manages relationships with third parties appropriately. These behaviours include honesty, fairness and transparency. The Code is intended to provide a starting point to help members of the College identify and tackle ethical issues faced in the course of their activities. It also describes routes available for members of the College community to escalate ethical concerns where appropriate.
The Ethics Code is accompanied by a Relationships Policy, which highlights the mechanisms through which staff and other members of the College community should consider whether there are any ethical concerns in connection with proposed and continuing relationships with third parties such as funders, and explains how the ethical review process dovetails with the existing College review processes in certain areas. Copies of the College’s Ethics Code and related documents may be found on the College’s Ethics Hub.
As well as the general guidelines set out in the Ethics Code, and Relationship Review Policy, there may be specific legal and ethical requirements for researchers to consider when designing experiments and conducting research. This includes submitting research proposals for ethical review where appropriate and abiding by the outcome of that review. Researchers should also ensure that research projects are approved by all applicable bodies, ethical, regulatory or otherwise. Researchers must comply with all legal and ethical requirements and with other guidelines that apply to their research.
When conducting, or collaborating in, research in other countries, researchers based in the UK should comply with the legal and ethical requirements existing in the UK and in the countries where the research is conducted. Similarly, researchers based abroad who participate in UK-hosted research projects should comply with the appropriate legal and ethical requirements existing in the UK as well as those of their own country.
Human, Clinical and Healthcare Research
Animal Research
Genetic Modification Work
Plant Pathogens and Pests