Institute of Biology, Sri Lanka

Professional body Incorporated by Act of Parliament No. 22 of 1984

Home Guidelines for ERC-IOBSL Applicants

Ethics Review Committee

The ERC IOBSL will grant ethical clearance for biology-related research projects involving both the animals (laboratory and in the field) and human subjects. Applications for biomedical research (biomedical research is defined here as research conducted on clinical samples) should contain sufficient evidence to prove the involvement of appropriate healthcare professionals in sample collection procedure. Ethical clearance is not granted for clinical research, i.e., research studies performed on patients.

  1.  The applicant must be an investigator in the research for which ethical clearance is sought.
  2.  Only duly completed application forms will be reviewed.
  3. The approval granted will be valid only for the stipulated dates indicated in the letter of approval.
  4.  The ERC-IOBSL will meet on the last Thursday of each month and the applications that reach the Secretaries before 15 days of this dead line will be considered at the monthly meeting.
  5. The regular review process will take 60 days, during which the decision will be conveyed to the applicant.
  6. The ERC may request for further information which should be furnished within 30 days. This may delay the date of the decision.
  7.  The ERC-IOBSL may also request for revisions to the proposal. The application form incorporating these suggestions will have to be submitted within six months. An application that is submitted after six months will be considered as a new submission.
  8. The decision of the ERC-IOBSL will be final. However, an applicant may send their appeals or complaints to the Chairman, ERC-IOBSL or the President IOBSL.

The Institute of Biology has established an Ethical Review Committee (ERC IOBSL) for granting ethical clearance to Biology-related projects. This is to ensure that researchers engage in ethically sound practices in conducting scientific research. All proposed research projects should consider ethical clearance at both the application and implementation stages.

Ethical Review Proces – How to Apply?