OUR WORK
Research ethics, culture and REF
Supporting universities and research organisations to embed research ethics within governance, institutional culture, research practice and the wider research environment.
Research ethics across the institution
Strong research ethics depends on more than an approval process. It is shaped by leadership, governance, review systems, researcher support and the wider culture in which research takes place.
REF 2029 assessment will consider how research and impact strategies can enable the building of excellent cultures and research environments
What we do in this area
We work with universities and research organisations to:
Governance and policy
Support institutions to review ethics policies, responsibilities, governance arrangements and routes for accountability.
Research ethics committees
Support REC development, proportionate review, consistency, independence and effective committee practice.
Researcher development
Develop education, training and resources that strengthen ethical judgement and reflection across the research lifecycle
Research culture
Help institutions examine how systems, incentives, leadership and everyday practice shape ethical research.
Review, benchmarking and learning
Support organisations to reflect on current practice, identify strengths and priorities, and learn from sector guidance and evidence.
REF and research environment
Explore how research ethics, responsible research and institutional culture contribute to the wider research environment considered through REF 2029 SPRE.
Research ethics, research culture and the research environment
Research ethics is more than an approval process. It sits within governance, accountability and proportionate review, and is closely connected to researcher support, institutional learning, integrity and a responsible research culture.
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A strong research ethics framework enables confidence, helps manage risk, and supports high-quality research that benefits society. When ethics is embedded in everyday practice — from project design and data collection to collaboration and dissemination — it strengthens research culture and underpins public trust in research.
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We work with universities and research organisations to take a strategic and joined-up approach, helping to align ethics policy, review systems, training and institutional culture with broader organisational goals and sector expectations.
​Questions worth asking
Is our ethics review process proportionate to the risks and context of our research?
Are our researchers well supported to make ethical decisions?
How does our institution learn from experience and emerging issues?
Are we demonstrating a positive and responsible research culture?
How does our approach to research ethics contribute to public trust and wider societal benefit?
REF 2029 and the place of research ethics
Research ethics is not a standalone REF 2029 metric, but it is closely connected to the research environment and the conditions that support responsible research. In REF 2029, Strategy, People and Research Environment (SPRE) accounts for 20% of the overall unit quality profile.
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SPRE is assessed through an institution-level statement and a unit-level statement. The institution-level statement contributes 60% of the SPRE score, with the unit-level statement contributing 40%. This reflects the responsibility institutions have for supporting and resourcing positive research cultures and environments.
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For REA, the relevance is not that research ethics should become another REF measure. Rather, strong ethics governance, proportionate review, researcher support and institutional learning are part of the wider systems and conditions through which responsible research is enabled.
Sector context
Our work is informed by the wider frameworks and expectations that shape research ethics, integrity and research environments across UK higher education.
Strategy, People and
Research Environment
Research culture, responsible research, collaboration and the processes that support an excellent research environment.
REF 2029
The national framework for good research conduct and governance. The current version was published in April 2025.
Research Integrity Concordat
Institutional review and development
Ethical research and innovation
Ethics should be supported throughout the research lifecycle, with institutional structures, committee support and training.
UKRI
Research ethics support
and review
Practical sector guidance and resources for effective review, policy and improvement.