Vision – Mission Goal of The University

The University of Cebu has envisioned to democratize quality education and become the visionary and industry leader, which is turn gives hope and transforms lives, True to its vision, UC’s mission is to offer affordable and quality education responsive to the demands of local and international communities.

Research Program of University of Cebu

Research is a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder activity of the university involving the administration, faculty, staff and students. In the pursuit of the foregoing vision-mission goal (VMG), the university has stablished a research center that makes policies and plans to promote and sustain interest in the utilization and accomplishment of quality, relevant and ethical, evidenced-based researches, which give benefits to the university and its stakeholders and the community it serves.

The UC-System Research Ethics Committee

The UC-System Research Ethics Committee is composed of two panels, the University of Cebu Academic Panel (UCAREC) and the University of Cebu Medical Panel (UCMREC). The UCAREC is an independent body, whose responsibility is to ensure the protection of the rights, safety and well – being of human subjects involved in health related research and to provide public assurance of that protection . In accordance with applicable national/international regulations, the UCAREC has the authority to approved, require modifications to, or disapproved research protocols and related documents as well as ensure compliance with its relevant procedures after approval.

The UCAREC reviews and monitors researches that involve:

•  University of Cebu students, faculty done with the school and community premises by its staff


•  Protocols done by University of Cebu full-time staff in areas outside the school premises, except
  
   researches undertaken by part time school staff done outside the school.


•  Protocols from researches outside the University of Cebu whose participants include individuals
  
    from the community.


•  Researchers referred from the PNHRS, PHREB, DOH, industry organizations, and others on
  
    the condition that host school/ institution where the research will be conducted accepts the review  
   of UCAREC and agrees to abide by the rules and regulations that UCAREC follows (based on PHREB
  
   and FERCAP rules.)

This SOP provides the Terms of Reference (TOR) that describes the framework for the constitution of

the UCAREC, the responsibilities and activities of its officers, members, staff, and independent

consultants.

It is the responsibility of the UCAREC members, officers, and secretariat to understand and implement

the SOPs. Moreover, it is their duty to inform mentors and students directly or indirectly engaged in

conducting researches involving human subjects, of the different SOP activities, workflows, and

timeframes. It is the duty of these individuals to fully abide with and comprehend the SOP activities,

workflows, and timeframes in order to prevent undue delays in the submission of research proposals

and final reposts.

Ethical basis

The UCAREC is guided in its reflection, advice and decision by the ethical principles and procedures expressed in the following guidelines and documents:

•   Operation Guidelines for Ethics Committees that Review biomedical Research (2000) bt the World
  
    Health Organization (WHO)


•   Declartion of Helsinki (2008 and subsequent revisions)


•   CISOMS 2002 and 2009


•   Standards and Operational Guidance for Ethics Review of Health-Related Research Human
  
    participants (2011) by the World Health Organization of Good Clinical practice (ICH-GCP)

•   International Conference on the Harmonization of Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP)

•   National Ethical Guidelines for Health Research (2017) by the Philippine Health Research Ethics
  
    Board (PHREB)

•   Philippine Food and Drug Authority regulations

The UCAREC adheres to national and international ethical standards and recognizes that protocols it approves may also be approved by national and/or local ethics committees prior to their implementation in specific localities.

In Evaluating protocols and ethical issues, The UCAREC is cognizant of the diversity of laws, cultures, and practices governing health research in various countries around the world. In evaluation protocols and ethical issues, UCARECis cognizant of the diversity of laws, cultures and practices governing health research in various countries around the world.

It attempts to inform itself, whenever possible, of the requirements and conditions of various localities where a proposed University of Cebu research is being considered.

The UCAREC will take the initiative to be informed, as appropriate, by national/local ethics committees and researchers of the impact of the research that it has approved.