Frequently Asked Questions

By when do I have to submit by application by for it to be reviewed next month?

The date you will have to submit your application by will be dependent on the perceived risk level of your project. Risk level is established based on the answers given in section ‘F1 – Filter Questions’. The answers given to the filter questions will ascertain the type of risks your project poses, and what level said risks would be categorised as. Risk levels are broadly split in to applications that are deemed ‘High Risk’ and ‘Low Risk’ applications. High Risk: Applications that are deemed High risk are reviewed by one of the three different Research Ethics Subcommittees’ (abbreviated as RESC’s) which meet on a monthly basis to review applications. Your application will be reviewed by the RESC responsible for your department or faculty. The RESC’s are as follows: - Biomedical Sciences, Dentistry, Medicine and Natural & Mathematical Sciences (BDM RESC) - Psychiatry, Nursing & Midwifery (PNM RESC) - Social Science & Public Policy, Humanities and Law (SSHL RESC). Each meeting will have a deadline date for applications can be accepted, which usually occurs 3 weeks prior to the meeting date. For a list of the monthly deadline dates, please consult the calendar found at this page: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/innovation/research/support/ethics/calendar.aspx Low Risk: The Low Risk application process is open to Students and Staff who fall within the Schools of Arts and Humanities, Law and Social Science and Public Policy. Applications that are considered low risk are reviewed by one of the 5 Research Ethics Panel’s (REP’s) which consist of: - Arts and Humanities REP (A&H) - Education and Management REP (E&M REP) - Geography and Social Sciences, Health and Medicine REP (GSSHM REP) - Law REP (Law) - War Studies Group REP (WSG) Applications to the REP’s are accepted on a rolling basis until the system closure in July 2015. There are no monthly deadlines or meetings and applications can be made to the REP’s at any time before the system closure.

How do I access the system?

A: You can log in to the system using your King’s 8 digit username (i.e. k1234567, abcd1234 etc) and password. If you experience any issues logging in with your KCL email address and password, your KCL password may be due to expire. You can reset your KCL password via the ‘Reset your password’ link here: www.kcl.ac.uk/it/password-resets-and-management Please note: using “space” | : & $ ‘ \ can cause log in problems with REMAS. If you have any problems please contact rec@kcl.ac.uk

How do I start completing the application form?

Once you have logged in to *REMAS* you will be automatically taken to your own personalised work area. On the left hand side of the screen, under the ‘Actions’ drop down column there will be the option to ‘Create Project’. Clicking on this tile will then prompt you to enter the title of your project and to identify if you are making an application for your own research (Full Application Form) or if you are a member of Staff applying to for approval to conduct a taught module (Taught Course Practical Form). Once you have selected the relevant option, click on ‘create’ which will direct you to the navigation screen for the application form. The navigation screen consists of a list of all the sections of the application form for you to complete, but at this point, the only section of the application that will be accessible to you will be ‘F1 – Filter Questions’. Once you have completed the filter questions and saved the form (the save button is available under the ‘Actions’ drop down) other sections of the form will now be accessible once you return to the navigation page. When completing an application form, you will be able to progress to the ‘Previous’ and ‘Next’ sections by clicking on the relevant arrows in the left ‘Actions’ column. If you wish to return to the navigation screen at any time, you should click on 'Navigate' in the left ‘Actions’ column. Please click on 'Save' in the left ‘Actions’ column, at regular intervals while completing the application. You do not have to complete the application form all at once, but please ensure that you have saved your application before logging out of the system. You can logout by clicking on the drop-down list at the top right of the headings bar underneath your name, and selecting logout. Section I will ask you to upload additional documents to accompany your application such as Consent Forms, Information Sheets and approaches to Gatekeepers. When you have uploaded any documents and saved this page, you will then be able to view all the documents that have been uploaded for the application by clicking on ‘Documents’ in the left ‘Actions’ column. Once you have created an application, it will appear as a green folder in your Work Area. It will appear with the title of your project to help you differentiate between applications, should you be working on more than one. You also have the option to create folders for this area in order to organise your applications in to separate folders. Please click on 'Create Folder' - this will be listed in the Work Area on the left hand side of the screen under the 'Projects' drop down. Please click on this tile and then 'Create Project' within the folder. This will appear as a listing, please click on this and repeat the above steps.

Can I share the application form with others for them to contribute?

If you are making an ethics application on behalf of a research team, you can share the application forms with other members of the team so that they may also contribute. This can be done by logging in, selecting the relevant project and then clicking on ‘Share’ in the Actions column on the left hand side of the screen. A pop-up window will then appear and will prompt you to enter the KCL email addresses of those you wish to share the form with. You can then select the level of access you wish to grant others, you can select either 'read-only' or 'full access' as required. If an error message appears, please double check that you are using kcl.ac.uk ending email addresses of individuals who have are registered with King’s. 'Notifications' refer to alerts when a signature is received and from the committee regarding the status of the application. -Please click on the ‘plus sign’ to add further names -Please click on ‘share’ to confirm. -Individual users must register on the site to be able to login and view the shared application forms. To remove access granted, please click on ‘Collaborators’ in the left ‘Actions’ column. Then click on ‘cancel’ alongside the relevant names listed.

Can I create a copy of a completed application form as I need to submit an application for another project whose details are similar?

You can create a copy of a completed application form if required. This will copy all of the information that has been inputted in to the application form, but will not copy any uploaded documents. These will need to be re-uploaded if required. To create a copy, select the 'Duplicate project' tile under the actions drop down on the left side of the screen. A pop up window will then ask to you select with project you wish to duplicate from the drop down list of your projects. Please select the project you wish to copy and click on 'Duplicate'. The copy will appear in the Work Area as the same project title followed by the word ‘Duplicated’.

Why is there an error when I try and send a signature request?

The system can only send emails to those who are registered users of the system, with a valid KCL email address. If your supervisor does not have a substantive contract with King’s, you will need to seek a secondary supervisor from inside of KCL who is able to authorise your application. If both your first and second supervisors are unable to authorise your application, please contact a department adminstrator to arrange alternative authorisation, For further advise the Research Ethics Office can be contacted at rec@kcl.ac.uk

What happens after I have sent a signature request?

Once you have sent a signature request the signatory will receive a notification asking them to review your application and sign you. Once all the required signatures are received, then you can submit your application. You will receive a notification to alert you when a signature has been received. Once the application is submitted successfully, there will be a message on the screen confirming submission.

What happens to my application after I have submitted it?

After you have submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming that your application has been validated and sent out for review. This email confirms that your application has been successfully submitted. Please allow three working days for the Research Ethics Office to validate your application. The email will contain details of the Research Ethics Panel (REP) or the Research Ethics Subcommittee (RESC) that will review your application. - All low risk applications made to one the 5 REP’s are reviewed and returned to applicants within 15 working days following validation. - Applications made to one of the 3 RESC’s are reviewed at the next available RESC Meeting, and are returned to applicants within 10 working days after the initial meeting date. The dates for the monthly RESC meetings can be found here: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/innovation/research/support/ethics/calendar.aspx Following the validation email, the next communication you will receive regarding your application will be the outcome.

How do I submit a response to the amendments requested from the REP/RESC on my application?

To respond to any requested amendments, please resubmit an amended version of your application, ensuring that you have attached a cover letter explaining your responses to any requests made in section I 'Supporting Documents'. If amendments have been requested to be made to recruitment documents (i.e. consent form, information sheet) these should also be uploaded in section I when resubmitting your amended application.

Within how many days should I respond to request amendments from the committee on my application?

You will have a 3 month period to submit any requested amendments following an 'Approved Pending Amendment' decision from reviewing Committee/Panel. Once this 3 month period has passed you will receive a notification informing you that your application has been lapsed and you will need to submit a new application if you still require approval.

Within how many days will the committee give feedback on my response to their requested amendments on my application?

Once you have submitted your amended application and it has been validated by the Research Ethics Office, all applications should be returned within in 15 working days. Please allow 2 working days for your application to be validated.

Can I make a modification to an application that has already been granted ethical approval?

Applications can only be modified after ethical approval has been granted. You will need to apply for a modification approval if you wish to: 1. Add a new participant group; 2. Add a new research method; 3. Ask for additional data from your existing participants; 4. Remove a group of participants or a research method from the project, and have not yet commenced that part of the project; 5. Apply for an extension to your current ethical approval. To create a modification request first you must open the application you wish to modify, please click on the ‘Create Sub-form’ tile which appears on the left hand side of the screen under the ‘Actions’ dropdown. A pop up will appear prompting you to select the ‘Modification Request Form For Approved Research’, you should then click on the green ‘Create’ button which will open the Modifications Request navigation page. Please then click on the ‘Page 1’ icon which will generate the Modification Request form. You should save the form periodically to avoid any loss of data, the ‘Save’ tile can be found on the left hand side of the screen under the ‘Actions’ drop down. Once completed, you can submit your Modification Request for review by clicking on the ‘Submit’ tile found under the ‘Actions’ drop down. Modification Requests are usually returned to applicants within 15 working days of initial submission.

Can I share the modification request form with other members of my team for them to contribute?

Yes, please see the FAQ entitled ‘Can I share the application form with others for them to contribute?’ under the ‘Completing the Application Form’ heading.

How can I download a copy of my completed application form for my records?

Please login to your account, and click on the project you wish to download. Projects will appear as green folders in your Work Area. Clicking on the relevant project will bring you the navigation page for the form. On the left hand side of the screen, there will be option to ‘Print’ under the ‘Actions’ drop down. This will open a PDF version of your application in a new window, and you can then choose to either download the form or print a copy by clicking on the icons found on the top right hand corner of the PDF document.