Ethics & Review Committee (ERC) Officer

Role Overview

This position anchors the administrative operations of the university's Institutional Scientific and Ethics Review Committee (ISERC). You will be the central coordinator who moves every ethics application from initial submission through committee review, post-approval monitoring, and final record-keeping. Your work directly supports the university's accredited research ethics framework and ensures that all human-subject research meets national legal and ethical standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the official Secretary to the ISERC: draft meeting agendas, record minutes, and track implementation of committee decisions and resolutions.
• Manage the full intake process for all research proposals and ethical review applications from internal and external applicants, including registration, logging, and issuing acknowledgements.
• Verify every application for completeness and regulatory compliance before it reaches the full committee, including confirmation that NACOSTI licensing conditions are satisfied.
• Generate and manage all official correspondence related to ethical reviews: approvals, conditional approvals, requests for clarification, rejections, and appeal outcomes, with a complete audit trail.
• Oversee post-approval compliance by chasing progress reports, adverse event notifications, close-out submissions, and conducting spot checks on active research projects.
• Maintain an up-to-date database of all institutional researchers—staff, postgraduate students, affiliates, and independent applicants—and produce required summaries for NACOSTI submissions.
• Prepare and file NACOSTI returns on schedule, including the mandatory annual report by 31 July, as well as quarterly progress and compliance reports tied to the current accreditation (NACOSTI/NSEC/AC/01513, valid 25 Feb 2025 – 24 Feb 2028).
• Support the ongoing development and review of the committee's Standard Operating Procedures, policies, and ethics frameworks, and help deliver training on research ethics and integrity for committee members, researchers, and staff.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A Master's degree in a relevant discipline such as Bioethics, Public Health, Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, Law, or a related field.
• At least three years of professional experience in research administration, regulatory affairs, or a research-focused role.
• Demonstrated familiarity with research ethics review processes, including knowledge of national regulations and accreditation requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear minutes, formal letters, and structured regulatory reports.
• High attention to detail and the ability to maintain strict confidentiality and manage sensitive information with the utmost discretion.
• Organisational skills that support simultaneous tracking of many applications, deadlines, and committee actions without losing traceability.
• Working knowledge of conflict-of-interest rules and the ability to serve as a neutral administrative interface between researchers and the committee.