NON DISCLOSABLE
BIOLOGICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCEs
RESEARCH AND TEACHING
ETHICAL APPROVAL FORM
Please ensure that you have read the instructions document before you complete this
form.
Principal Investigator / Supervisor
Student name(s)
(if applicable)
Student email address
(if applicable)
Title of the project/procedure(s)
Purpose of work proposed i.e. teaching,
undergraduate project, postgraduate project,
externally funded research, other research
Other centres collaborating on the project
(if applicable)
Funding Agency
(if applicable)
Proposed start date
If the answers to any of the questions in section A is
“yes” this proposed date must be at least 2 weeks
after the submission date.
Duration of the project
STUDENTS ONLY
Your supervisor must read and approve this form –
please circle yes to indicate that you have obtained
his/her approval.
Yes
DECLARATION
Please read this declaration carefully and type the date of submission at the end to indicate you
have read and understood it.
I confirm that the information contained in this application to be an accurate description of the
proposed work.
Date………………………
1
Section A
 Complete the table below: answer yes or no to each question. If the answer to all the questions
is “no” you do not need to complete the rest of the form, but you do need to submit an
electronic copy to Kirsty Park (k.j.park@stir.ac.uk). Do NOT submit a hard copy.
 If the answer to any of these questions is “yes” please complete the appropriate section (B-E)
and submit an electronic copy to Kirsty Park. Do NOT submit a hard copy.
 Students whose supervisors have an existing procedural form (see instructions for explanation)
need to complete pages 1&2 of this document but can circle “procedural” at the bottom of the
table below. They do NOT need to complete the rest of the form.
 The term “animal” used in these questions should be taken to mean an animal with a well
developed nervous system and a brain (e.g. vertebrates, insects, molluscs, worms but NOT
bacteria).
Please circle yes or no as appropriate to each question below.
If “yes”, complete the appropriate section(s) indicated.
Does the proposed work involve human subjects or human derived material
e.g. in questionnaires, physiological or psychological testing?
Yes / No
If “yes” go to section B
Does the proposed work involve the capture, removal from the wild and/or
destruction of animals?
Yes / No
If “yes” go to section C
Could the proposed work result in disturbance to any animal e.g. through
observations made near bird nesting sites?
Yes / No
If “yes” go to section C
Does the proposed work involve observations made on captive animals
and/or on animals cultured in the laboratory?
Yes / No
If “yes” go to section C
Does the proposed work involve activities which could temporarily or
permanently damage or disturb the environment (e.g. removal of wild plants)
or archaeological remains and artefacts?
Yes / No
If “yes” go to section D
Does the proposed work involve a potential conflict of interest or raise ethical
issues regarding the source of funding or where publication of research data
may be restricted?
Yes / No
Go to section E
STAFF ONLY
If the answer to any of the questions above is “yes” please indicate whether
you are applying for a project or a procedural based application? See page 1
of this form for an explanation of these terms.
UNDERGRADUATE/MSC STUDENTS ONLY
If the answer to any of the questions above is “yes”, please indicate whether
you are applying for a project based application OR if you have read and
understood your supervisor’s existing procedural form
Project /
Procedural
Project /
Procedural
2
SECTION B
Use of human subjects or human derived material
Aim of project. Please outline the main aims of your project including hypotheses to be tested / questions
addressed. Do not exceed 100 words.
Project methods. Please outline the methods you will use to carry out this project (e.g. sample sizes,
recruitment methods). Do not exceed 200 words.
Yes
1.
2.
3.
No
N/A
Will participants be informed of the nature and purpose of the
study?
Will you tell participants that their participation is voluntary and
that they may withdraw at any stage?
Will you obtain written consent for participation?
4.
Will you tell participants that their data will be treated with full
confidentiality and that, if published, it will not be identifiable as
theirs?
5.
If research is observational, will you ask participants for their
consent to being observed?
If you have answered NO to any of the questions 1-5 please provide more information
below:
6.
Will children (under 18 yrs) or vulnerable adults be involved in
this study?
7.
Is there any realistic risk of any participants experiencing either
physical or psychological distress or discomfort?
8.
Will your project involve deliberately misleading participants in
any way?
If you have answered YES to any of the questions 6-7 please provide more information
below:
9.
All studies involving the use of questionnaires have to submit
the questionnaire along with the ethics form – have you
included this in your application?
3
SECTION C
Use of animals involving capture, removal, destruction and/or disturbance
Aim of project. Please outline the main aims of your project including hypotheses to be tested / questions
addressed. Do not exceed 100 words.
Project methods. Please outline the methods you will use to carry out this project (e.g. sample sizes,
recruitment methods). Do not exceed 200 words.
Organisms involved in the study
Invertebrates
Vertebrates
Cephalopods
Other (describe)
Approximate number used
Species names (Latin and common). If information on either species names or approximate number of
individuals to be used cannot be provided, please provide further information below:
Information for studies involving the capture, removal or destruction of any animal For your
response please address the following questions: 1. How will organisms will be obtained?; 2. If they are kept
during the study how will they be maintained?; 3. What will happen to them throughout the duration of the
study?; 4. How will they be released or disposed of at the end of the study?; 5. What adverse effects are any
animals used in this study likely to suffer and how will these effects be minimised? If not applicable write N/A
in the space below.
Information for observational studies involving possible disturbance to an animal species?
Provide information on how animals in the wild or captivity might be disturbed as a result of this study and
what efforts will be made to keep any disturbance to an absolute minimum? Do not exceed 200 words. If not
applicable write N/A in the space below.
4
SECTION D
Possible damage or disturbance to the environment (including removal of wild
plants) or archaeological remains and artefacts
Aim of project. Please outline the main aims of your project including hypotheses to be tested / questions
addressed. Do not exceed 100 words.
Project methods. Please outline the methods you will use to carry out this project (e.g. sample sizes,
recruitment methods). Do not exceed 200 words.
Explain how this work may cause damage or disturbance to the environment and how this
will be minimised
Explain how this work may cause damage or disturbance to archaeological remains and
artefacts and how this will be minimised?
5
SECTION E
Potential conflicts of interest or other ethical issues
Please provide further information about any proposed work that may involve a potential
conflict of interest or raise ethical issues regarding the source of funding or where
publication of research data may be restricted
6