Below is a summary of the UCT policy and procedures for ethics clearance and permission to engage UCT staff and/or students or their data in research.
The above is an abbreviated workflow. Please download the detailed workflow.
Step 1: Approval from a UCT Research Ethics Committee
You will need to obtain ethics approval from the UCT Inter-Faculty Human Research Ethics Committee (IFHREC). Approval must be requested via completion of the IFHREC ethics application form on eRA*, and applications must include the relevant supporting documentation (including annexure B "declaration for external researchers", contained within the policy document, as well as an ethics approval/exemption letter from your home institution). Your application will then progress through the usual IFHREC application process.
* In order to be granted access to the eRA platform to submit your application you must first contact the IFHREC servicing officer via ifhrec.enquiries@uct.ac.za to gain third-party access. Once you have been granted third-pary and eRA access you may proceed with your application on the eRA platform.
NOTE: You must have an ethics approval/wavier letter from your home institution before approaching a UCT REC.
If you are successful in step 1, you may proceed to step 2.
Step 2: Permission from “Gatekeepers”
To access students
Request permission from the Department of Student Affairs (DSA) to engage with students. To do this you will need to complete the relevant application form and submit it along with your ethics approval letters and the DSA Checklist to the ED of DSA or the delegated authority.
Please email the documents to Ms Nadierah Pienaar, who manages this process for the DSA. Nadierah will guide you through the rest of the process if your DSA application is successful.
To access staff
Request permission from HR to engage with the staff. To do this you will need to complete the HR194a (for research in fulfilment of a degree) or the HR194b (for general research) and submit it along with your ethics approval letters to the ED of HR, or the delegated authority.
Please send the documents to Mr Fawwaaz Davids, who manages this process for HR. Fawwaaz will guide you through the rest of the process if your HR application is successful.
Note: UCT gatekeepers receive a large number of requests to access our staff and students. It is possible that your application/request might be declined at either of the two stages indicated above. If successful you may also encounter ‘research-fatigue’ from our staff/students, they are frequently invited to participate in research projects and may thus opt-out of participating.