Frequently Asked Questions

When can I expect to receive new applications/amendments?

For Obs A, B, and Int New applications are circulated on the 1st working day of the month, and new amendments are circulated on the 1st working day and the 16th of the month. For CaRR New applications and amendments are circulated on a rolling basis. For MSc New applications and amendments are circulated on a rolling basis, but you can expect the majority of submissions between March-June.

How long do I have to review?

Obs A, B, and Int: Applications circulated on the 1st working day of the month will be due on the 15th of that month. Amendments circulated on the 1st working day of the month will be due on the 15th of that month. Amendments circulated on the 16th of the month will be due on the 1st of the following month. CaRR and MSc: You will be given two weeks from the application(s) being circulated, e.g. if circulated on the 1st the reviews will be due by the 15th.

What do I do if I have a conflict on Interest

If you feel you cannot review an application due to a conflict of interest please make the RGIO team aware at ethics@lshtm.ac.uk so that you can be taken off that submission.

Who can I go to if I have questions while reviewing

You are very welcome to email ethics@lshtm.ac.uk with any questions you have at any stage of the review process.

How will I know who I'm reviewing with?

You will receive an email letting you know which applications have been assigned to you, and who you will be reviewing alongside. You can also see the other assigned reviewers listed on the timeline page of an application under 'assigned reviewers'.

Can I create pdfs of applications to review offline?

Yes Go to the timeline of the application and on the left click 'view as pdf'. This will generate a pdf version of the application that you can review offline.

Can I view previous applications (e.g. previous amendments) for a project?

The project tree allows to you navigate between all submissions made for that project, in the order in which they were created, and indicates which form type the submission is (e.g. Amendment 1, Annual report etc.). You can access the project tree by changing the tab from 'Timeline' to 'Project' on the projects landing page.

The research is being conducted overseas. Is local ethical approval required?

For studies conducted overseas it is essential that local ethics approval requirements are followed, including when research is conducted remotely, for example remote interviews. Local requirements vary so should be investigated, and an application submitted, if required, for each country in which the study is to be conducted. The process of ethical review for studies to be conducted overseas is not always straightforward. Collaborating with a local research organisation, or other relevant local experts, is good practice and they can often advise on local requirements for research. Alternatively, researchers can often contact the local Ministry of Health for advice. Where an applicant believes local approval is not required, they must justify this in their application to the LSHTM ethics committee and describe any less formal permissions, invitations or local support being given for the study. For studies that are not being carried out in specific countries, and with no country focus, such as global online surveys, or where an advert for a research study is posted online and anyone can respond regardless of where they are based, it becomes impossible for researchers to know where their participants are based before they are recruited into the research. The committee recognise the difficulty of obtaining local approval when the researcher does not know where the participants are based, so for these types of ‘global’ projects where there is no other appropriate review body, LSHTM approval alone can be sufficient. It is the responsibility of the researcher to ensure that all required local approvals are in place before the start of the project.

How do I add a comments using Form Comments?

1. Go to the application that you want to comment on. 2. On the left under Actions, click on Form Comments. A pop-up will appear. 3. Click on + Add Comment to open the comment box. 4. Enter your comment and click save. 5. Your comment will be visable in the Form Comments tile under Actions.

How do I edit/delete my Form Comments?

1. Click on the Form Comments tile (visible on the left under Actions when reviewing the application). 2. Click on the comment you would like to edit (you can only edit your own comments). 3. Make the required amendments to your comment and click save/ click the delete button to delete the comment.

How do I add a comment using Panel Comments?

1. Go to the application you would like to comment on 2. Click on Review Application 3. Click on the blue link under Questions to take you to the section of the form that you want to comment on. 4. On the left under Actions click on ‘New Comment’. 5. Select the question you wish to comment on. A pop-up will appear. 6. Enter your comment and click save. 7. Your comment will be visible in the Panel Comments tile under Actions

How do I edit/delete my Panel Comments?

1. Click on the Panel Comments tile (visible on the left under Actions when reviewing the application). 2. Click the edit button next to the comment you would like to amend. 3. Make the required amendments to your comment and click save/ click the delete button to delete the comment.

How can I find past applications that I've reviewed?

You can search for past applications in your ‘All applications’ tile