Research Integrity and Governance Committee

Committee description

Committee Secretary: Matthew Billington, Email: mjbill2@liverpool.ac.uk

Terms of Reference

1. To have oversight of research integrity and research governance matters across the University.

2. To approve the University’s annual statement on research integrity.

3. To have oversight of the University’s compliance with the Concordat to Support Research Integrity.

4. To seek to ensure that appropriate training in research integrity and governance is in place across the University

5. To receive reports from the School and Institute Deans on their ongoing activities to promote research integrity.

6. To oversee the work of those University committees with particular responsibility for research governance matters, including:

a. The Committee on Research Ethics
b. The Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body
c. The Human Material Oversight Committee
d. The Joint Research Office Oversight Committee
e. The Joint Research Office Sponsorship Committee
 f. The Clinical Research Regulatory Oversight Committee
g. The relevant Faculty Committees dealing with research governance matters.

7. To have responsibility for monitoring compliance by members of the University with internal policies/procedures and external regulations/legislation relating to research governance.

8. To monitor, review and where necessary update policies and procedures relating to research governance.

9. To receive anonymised summaries of allegations or discoveries of research misconduct and provide guidance on research integrity and governance considerations arising from investigations.

10. To provide assistance and guidance to each Faculty to ensure that appropriate mechanisms and structures are developed at Faculty level for the effective management of research governance, notably the establishment of research integrity and governance matters as a standing item on School or Departmental Research and Impact committees as appropriate.

11. To promote best practice and encourage consistency in matters of research integrity and governance across the University.

12. To oversee audits within the University to assess compliance with research governance policies and procedures.

13. To receive reports on research governance audits or inspections of the University by external bodies; for example: the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency; Human Tissue Authority etc.

14. To ensure that all information received by the Committee is written in such a way that it can be understood by a lay reader.

Reporting Relationships

As a Joint Committee of the Senate and the Council, the Research Integrity and Governance Committee reports to the Senate and to the Council (usually through an annual report); and reports to the Committee on Research Ethics for information.

Frequency of Meetings

The Research Integrity and Governance Committee usually meets on three occasions during the academic year.

Quorum

A quorum of a minimum of one third of the total membership will be required for any meetings of the Committee, which must include:

• The Chair or Vice Chair of the Committee;
• The University Named Person for research integrity, or a member of the Research Support Office;
• At least one Chair of a Faculty Research and Impact Committee;
• At least one Faculty Research Integrity Lead.

The Committee shall have the power to invite additional persons, who need not be members of the University, to present on specific agenda items.