Anyone starting a research project, including an undergraduate dissertation project at the University of Malta, must fill in a REDP (Research Ethics and Data Protection) form before starting his/her research. The REDP form is now formally known as the URECA form. A REDP form and a URECA form are one and the same thing.
The University of Malta Research Ethics Review Procedures can be found on the University Research Ethics Committee’s (UREC) website and should be a first point of reference. Guidelines on research ethics are outlined in the University of Malta Research Code of Practice.
You are also encouraged to refer to the Frequently Asked Questions available on the UREC website.
Unlike its predecessor ‘UREC Form’, the URECA Form automates the submission process. This eliminates the need for applicants to send emails with attachments. Furthermore, the on-line form’s back-end features facilitate record keeping, review and audit. In a nutshell, URECA is much easier to fill in and handle than its predecessor.
Before filing in the URECA form, it helps to first consult the Instructional Videos for filling up the form.
A downloadable replica of the URECA form is also available. Consult the Replica form to familiarise yourself with the format and requirements of the Research Ethics and Data Protection Form before you attempt to fill in your application.
Proceed to fill in and submit your online URECA form here.
The URECA form consists of three Parts:
A URECA form can be saved in draft form at any point during the process of filling it up. The draft version of the form can be accessed and completed at a later date.
If any of the questions listed in Part 2 Self-Assessment are ticked Yes/Unsure, the URECA Form will direct the application to submit for FREC Review. Otherwise, the Form will direct the applicant to submit for Records.
Once a form is submitted, the Supervisor will receive notification of the form and will be required to review and endorse it before it can be processed further by FREC-ENG. The system automatically reminds the Supervisor about the need to review and endorse a FREC form. If the applicant sees that his URECA form has stalled and remained pending for a long period of time, it is the applicant’s duty to approach his/her Supervisor and remind him/her about the pending application.
Applicants who have submitted their URECA Forms for Record may progress with their research project as soon as they receive acknowledgement of their form by FREC-ENG. Forms submitted for records are archived but may be subject to an audit at a later time.
URECA Forms submitted for Review need to wait for FREC (or UREC) to review and approve their Form before they can proceed with their data collection.
Attachments uploaded with URECA Forms should be in PDF format.
Supervisors are responsible for the documents they endorse as indicated in the Research Ethics Review Procedures. Supervisors should ensure that URECA forms and related documents are clear, informative and up to the required standard before they proceed to endorse the Forms.
The Faculty of Engineering Research Committee (FREC-ENG) reviews applications as necessary and tries to do so expeditiously using email, online and physical meetings. Board meeting are held once monthly.
Please note that applications for research that require the collection of Special Categories of Personal Data (SCPD) are referred to the University Research Ethics Committee on Data Protection (UREC-DP). Other applications might also be referred to UREC-DP by FREC-ENG for guidance and approval. Researchers dealing with SCPD should allow extra time for their applications to be processed by UREC. UREC-DP meeting dates are available here. Please allow at least two weeks before the UREC deadline and for FREC to review your submission.
Note that Special Categories of Personal Data (SCPD), refers to personal date revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation.
Applicants are to discuss Research Ethics and Data Protection issues with their respective supervisors. Supervisors can then approach and discuss any matters with any member of FREC-ENG board. A member from each Department from the Faculty currently sits on the FREC-ENG board. The FREC-ENG Board members are listed below:
All correspondence with FREC-ENG should be done by sending an email to research-ethics.eng@um.edu.mt
