The HRA have launched new Quality Standards and Design and Review Principles to improve the information given to people who are invited to take part in research.
The Quality Standards set out what good participant information looks like. The Design and Review Principles explain to research organisations how to achieve the standards and how Research Ethics Committees (RECs) will check whether the standards have been achieved.
The HRA encourage research organisations to be aware of the new Quality Standards and Design and Review Principles so that they can design participant information in line with the new requirements when submitting new applications.
This will also help research organisations to meet the standards before they become mandatory later this year.
Next steps
The Quality Standards and Design and Review Principles are being phased in from September 2023, to enable sponsors and researchers to familiarise themselves with the documents; and from December 2023 they will become mandatory, and will be applied to all research applications submitted for review. Applications that do not adhere to the guidance will receive a provisional opinion.
Find our more and read the Quality Standards and Design and Review Principles.