Research Ethics Committee (REC)
The UK and European equivalent of the US Institutional Review Board, responsible for reviewing and approving clinical research protocols to ensure ethical conduct and protection of human participants. REC approval is a legal requirement for clinical trials in these jurisdictions.
Technical Context
UK RECs operate under the Health Research Authority (HRA) and review all research involving NHS patients, tissue, or data. The National Research Ethics Service (NRES) coordinates REC review across the UK. REC composition includes expert and lay members. Review considers: scientific merit, participant safety, informed consent, confidentiality, and community benefit. EU RECs operate under the Clinical Trials Regulation (536/2014) with a coordinated assessment procedure for multinational trials. Key differences from US IRBs include: RECs tend to include more lay members, have standardised operating procedures, and follow specific legal frameworks (EU CTR, UK statutory instruments) rather than the more institution-based US approach.