On 3 April 2023, the University launched the new ethics system, Ethics@Bath. From September, this new system will bring together all University processes and forms relating to research ethics, and the EIRA1 form will cease to exist.

If you wish to keep a record of any EIRA1 form you completed please follow the steps below. If you have received a favourable opinion from an internal (e.g. SSREC, PREC, REACH, etc) or external Research Ethics Committee (e.g. NHS REC, MoDREC etc) you do not need the EIRA1 as evidence of having considered the ethical implications of your research as the letter from the Committees will serve that purpose.

What you need to do

  1. You are asked to log into the EIRA1 system and check the status of your applications by clicking on the 'I'm the....' tabs.
  2. Please ensure that all the forms you have raised have the status ‘HoD approved’ which means that the form has been approved by the Head of Department (HoD). If some of your forms do not have HoD approval, and the project has started please contact research-ethics@bath.ac.uk. If some of your forms do not have HoD approval, and the project is yet to start, please complete the ethics review process via the Ethics@Bath.
  3. (Staff Only) If the action is on you, e.g you are the second reader or HoD, please complete the action and submit the form into the workflow for sign off.
  4. Save PDF copies of all forms you want to keep a record of. This can be done by clicking on the 'Show All' tab and then using Ctrl+P to bring up the print menu. From this menu you can save the form as PDF, by choosing 'save as PDF' from the printers' drop down menu.

Other information to note

  • Forms with a status 'Saved' will be deleted after 15 September 2023. All other forms will be archived for the purposes of auditing and compliance.
  • All UG and Masters EIRA1 forms currently in the system will need to be signed off no later than 15 September 2023.
  • Any forms requiring sign off after 15 September 2023 will need to be recreated in the Ethics@Bath for full review.
  • From September 2023 UG and Masters Students will be required to use the Ethics@Bath system to have the ethical implications of their research project considered.
  • The EIRA1 system will no longer be accessible after 15 September 2023 and we will be unable to provide copies of EIRA1 forms after this date.

Getting help

  • If you require technical assistance with the form e.g. changing people's names on the form please raise a topdesk ticket
  • If you require information about research ethics processes please contact research-ethics@bath.ac.uk

The EIRA1 continues to be available until 15 September 2023 for Undergraduate and Masters' students for the purpose of ethical review. Staff and PhD students should not raise any new forms in the EIRA1 system.