A 'Research Ethics Committee' (REC) is defined as a multidisciplinary, independent, body charged with reviewing research involving human participants to ensure that their dignity, safety, rights, and welfare are protected.
The Branch REC will be reviewing all proposals that do not involve researchers from other branches and/or from outside the University. The committee may decide to bring a proposal up to the University REC when, in its view, there are some complicated ethical issues in the proposal, and, hence, a second opinion is sought to be helpful.