The review by the Scientific Coordinating Committee (SCC) is the first stage for obtaining an ethical approval for research involving human participants. The mandate of the SCC is to review biomedical and social behavioural research studies to determine the scientific value, feasibility, and methodology of proposed research projects and of on-going studies according to its terms of reference.
SCC also assesses whether the proposed study aligns to MRCG at LSHTM's research priorities and objectives.
The SCC consists of scientists and heads of research related departments. A representative of the Ministry of Health also attends SCC meetings.
The deadline for submissions by applicants is 14 days before the actual meeting of the SCC. The dates of the deadlines and meetings are indicated in the annual meetings calendar. Applications received after the submission deadline will be held over to the following meeting.
SCC meets on the first Monday of every month at 08:30 hours. The Principal Investigator (PI) (or delegate) is invited to present the proposal at the SCC meeting.
Once an application receives a favourable opinion from SCC, it will be forwarded directly to The Gambia Government/MRCG Joint Ethics Committee (EC) for further consideration. For an application to qualify for ethical review, it must receive full approval from a recognised science committee (such as SCC) in The Gambia.
EC evaluates proposals by reviewing the submitted documents, paying special attention to the procedure and documentation of the consent process, the potential risks and benefits for research participants, the impact on the community and the ethical suitability and feasibility of the project.
EC sits on the last Thursday of every month at 16:00 hours unless otherwise stated. EC members are assigned as lead reviewers for each application to be reviewed at the full committee meeting. Although each EC member must review all of the materials and be prepared for discussion, the lead reviewer(s) is responsible for presenting a brief summary of the study. Applicants are not usually invited to attend EC meetings unless when it is deemed necessary.
Frequently asked questions
When is an ethics review required?
- When conducting research involving human participants or their data
- Ethics approval cannot be granted retrospectively
Review and approval is required for research involving:
- Living human participants
- Human biological materials
- Human tissue samples or other biological samples
- Extraction of data from patient records
- Lab based projects
Frequently used services
- Forms, templates and submission guide:
- Online application form: https://leo.lshtm.ac.uk
- Guidance on how to complete the application form, how to submit other requests and notifications: https://leo.lshtm.ac.uk/Personalisation/DisplayPage/9
- Meetings calendar (pdf)
- ICD templates (docx)
- Amendment form (docx)
- Report form (annual progress/end of study) (docx)
SOPs and policies
- EC composition and bio sketch of members (pdf)
- Declaration statement of compliance (pdf)
- EC guidelines for investigators (docx)
- Research guidelines involving the sharing of human materials/data with commercial/industrial entity (pdf)
Other resources
- Guide to ICD templates (docx)
- Adult clinical trial form (docx)
- Child clinical trial form (docx)
- Protocol template SOP CTS 004 (docx)
- CTS 001 ICD adult (docx)
- CTS 001 ICD child (docx)
Contact Ethics Secretariat
- Email: ethics@mrc.gm
- Telephone: 4495442-6 (Ext 2308/2315)