Research ethics team rises to one university challenge
01 Jul 2026
Delivering Manchester 2035 – how our first ever Research ethics forum and resulting resources and support build our strategy Foundation, Organised for success: one university.
Our Research Governance, Ethics and Integrity (RGEI) team is here to support colleagues to work responsibly and to help them mitigate any ethical issues they may face in their remarkable work to address global challenges.
It was in this spirit the team created our first ever Research Ethics forum, bringing colleagues together to help shape the University’s research ethics practices and guidelines, ensuring these continue to support both our research community and participants.
As well as being part of the ongoing work to promote a positive research culture across the University, it supports our Manchester 2035 strategy Foundation, Organised for success: one university – a shared way of working. This promises that we’ll create a supportive, empowering and shared working environment where our people have the clarity, tools and culture to do their best work and feel empowered to innovate; simplify processes and reduce barriers; and that everyone will have access to the support they need to learn, lead, adapt and work better together as one university.
Not a hoop to jump through – the foundation of good research
The forum, Supporting Collaborative Work: Interdisciplinary, Cross Institution and International, was attended by colleagues across a range of research active roles and levels of seniority, nominated by Associate Deans and Research Directors, who were also invited to attend themselves.
The event included:
- Shared examples of successful collaborative research via lightening talks from speakers from all three Faculties;
- Discussion of ethical challenges encountered in collaborative work and how these have been addressed;
- Collaborative reflection on current collaborative research practices at the University;
- The opportunity to offer constructive suggestions to inform how the RGEI Team can further enhance its support for collaborative partnerships.
As a result of feedback received during the event, the RGEI team has established a You Said, We Did piece that will feature in any updates to senior leadership and at next year’s forum.
“The University gives the highest priority to Research integrity and Research Ethics,” Associate Vice-President for Responsible Research Practice, Professor Mahesh Nirmalan said.
“The evolving challenges in the research ethics space must be confronted and resolved by frequent contacts between researchers and staff responsible for research governance and ethics.
“Research ethics is not a hoop to jump through – it is the foundation on which good research must be framed.”
Discover more
Our Research Governance, Ethics and Integrity (RGEI) team will launch its redesigned StaffNet site this Summer so take a look now and keep watching this space:
There’s also more information on our Research culture and environment hub, which includes the theme: