Research Ethics Committee

Committee contact details

Committee remit

Reviews applications to conduct research in:

  • University Hospital Limerick
  • University Maternity Hospital Limerick
  • St. John’s Hospital
  • Croom Hospital
  • Ennis Hospital
  • Nenagh Hospital
  • CHO3 

Local requirements

Applications must be submitted online at www.medicalresearch.ie.

All applications and supporting documentation should be typed, signed and dated by the principal investigator.

A submission should include Information Leaflets, Consent Forms, Questionnaires, and Study Protocol, Principal Investigator Curriculum Vitae, Evidence of GDPR Training, etc. (if applicable). Ensure that you refer to the Local Committee Checklist. Please take care when completing your submission as incomplete packs or an incomplete submission will not be accepted. This will only delay the REC approval process for your research.

The DPIA Screening Tool should be completed and if indicated from the DPIA Screening Tool, a Privacy Impact Assessment Form should be completed. You should also submit the completed and reviewed PIA as part of your submission to the REC if required.

Activities not requiring REC review

Specific activities do not require REC review including:

  • Quality assurance studies
  • Clinical Audits
  • Service Evaluations

For further information please see HSE’s Research & Development page What is Research. 

Please note only a limited number of applications can be reviewed each month. These will be reviewed on a first come, first serve basis for all full and completed applications. Applications not reviewed within a given month will be added to a waitlist for the following month.

HSE Local Committee Declaration & Signatory Page (DOC, 45 KB, 2 pages)

Standard Application Form (DOC, 207 KB, 28 pages)

Standard Application Form Guidance Manual (PDF, 1MB, 80 pages)

HSE DPIA Form (PDF, size 1.2 MB, 21 pages)

Research Ethics Committee Meeting Dates and Submission Deadlines January - December 2025 (PDF, 400 KB, 1 page)

Local Committee Checklist (PDF, 457 KB, 2 pages)

Data Protection Impact Assessment Screening Tool (Excel, size 266 KB)

 

Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

All research studies require a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA).

Data Protection Impact Assessments can be used to identify and mitigate against any data protection related risks arising from a new project, which may affect your organisation or the individuals it engages with. 

Please see attached DPIA Process Guidance and Application Form