Research Compliance and Integrity

Research Ethics 

All staff and students of the University have a responsibility to undertake research activities with the highest possible standards of integrity and practice, as outlined in the institutional Research Ethics & Integrity Policy.  

Any University of Huddersfield student or member of staff who wishes to undertake research with ethical implications or research involving human participants, their samples, or their data, must obtain ethical approval before the project begins.  

If you are unsure as to whether your project will require ethical review, please contact the Research Compliance and Integrity team via ethics@hud.ac.uk 

Once approved, it is the responsibility of the researcher to ensure that the research is carried out in compliance with the terms of approval. If changes are made to the project after approval has been granted, the researcher must submit a request to amend the original application prior to implementing any of the changes.  

Research Integrity 

Research integrity refers to the factors that underpin good research practice and promote trust and confidence in the research process. Research integrity is relevant to all research disciplines and applies to the whole lifecycle of a project.  

The UK Concordat to Support Research Integrity (2025) aims to provide a national framework for good research conduct and its governance, outlining five principles for research integrity:  

• Honesty 
• Rigour 
• Transparency and open communication 
• Care and respect 
• Accountability 

The University is committed to supporting the Concordat to Support Research Integrity and, as part of our ongoing commitment, an annual report on research integrity is published and made available via our website.  

Should you have any questions around research integrity, please contact the team via ethics@hud.ac.uk.  

Trusted Research 

Trusted Research aims to support the integrity of the system of international research collaboration, which is vital to the continued success of the UK’s research and innovation sector. The University has robust processes in place to safeguard its international collaborations. Each project is risk assessed against several criteria which include, but are not limited to, the country the collaborator is based in, the Corruption Perceptions Index of that country, whether the work falls within one of the fields identified as high risk, and any export control considerations. The project would be allocated a risk score and will follow the relevant process according to that score.  

A Trusted Research Committee oversees the University’s approach to the Trusted Research agenda and makes risk-based decisions where appropriate, ensuring compliance with national legislation. The Trusted Research Committee defines the University’s risk appetite, including the following principles:  

• Compliance with Export Controls and other UK Government regulations 

• Data protection and security 

• Institutional reputation 

• Reputation and personal safety of our staff and students 

• Source of identified funding 

• Intellectual Property 

If you are planning an international collaboration that may fall within the scope of Trusted Research, you can reach out to our team via ethics@hud.ac.uk. 

Committees

Secretariat for the following committees is provided by the Research Compliance and Integrity team: 

• Trusted Research Committee (TRC) 

• University Research Committee (URC) 

• University Research Group (URG) 

• School Research and Innovation Committees (SRIC) 

• School Research Ethics & Integrity Committees (SREIC)