• APPLICATION FOR RECIPROCAL ETHICS AND PERMISSION TO CONDUCT RESEARCH

    APPLICATION FOR RECIPROCAL ETHICS AND PERMISSION TO CONDUCT RESEARCH

  • EXTERNAL APPLICANTS

    Please complete the form if you are a student or researcher NOT registered or employed at UWC (or if your ethical clearance is not from UWC). Ensure details are captured correctly, as any errors will result in a failed application.

  • IMPORTANT: All research projects must obtain ethical approval from the relevant governing body of their institution as well as a reciprocal ethical clearance from UWC (the reciprocal clearance will be done via this application process). 

  • TYPE OF APPLICATION*

  • OPTION 1

    This means that your home institution in South Africa holds NHREC accreditation and you have formal institutional ethics approval in place for your study. This ensures both national ethics oversight and your institution’s approval are in place before the research proceeds.

    1. Apply for RECIPROCAL ETHICS APPROVAL
    2. Should reciprocal ethics approval be granted, you may then be granted PERMISSION TO CONDUCT RESEARCH

    WHEN TO EXPECT AN OUTCOME: Reciprocal ethics applications are considered at the next HSSREC meeting after the submission closing date. Applications received after a closing date are considered at the following meeting. Outcomes are communicated after the meeting.
    Remaining 2026 HSSREC dates:
    Closing date 15 October 2026, meeting 29 October 2026
    Closing date 11 November 2026, meeting 25 November 2026

    CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE HSSREC APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

    DOCUMENTS REQUIRED: The following documents are required when submitting an application and must be submitted as one combined PDF document, in the order listed below:

    1. HSSREC application form
    2. Host Institution's ethical clearance letter
    3. Consent forms
    4. Information Sheet
    5. Permission Letter
    6. Data Collection Tool/s

    WHAT IS RECIPROCAL ETHICS APPROVAL?

    A mutual recognition arrangement where ethics approval granted by one institution is recognized by another partner institution, enabling collaborative research across sites without duplicating full reviews, while ensuring all parties’ ethical requirements are satisfied.

    Queries: hssrec@uwc.ac.za

  • OPTION 2

    This means that your home institution holds NHREC accreditation and you are currently working to obtain formal institutional ethics approval. This option indicates that you have begun the ethics review process, but you must first obtain gatekeeper permission (e.g., from a site administrator, community leader, or relevant authority) before you may start any data collection.

    1. Apply via this form for CONDITIONAL GATE KEEPERS PERMISSION
    2. Once your ethics approval has been finalised at your institution you will APPLY FOR RECIPROCAL ETHICS APPROVAL (see conditional approval email for instructions)
    3. Should reciprocal ethics approval be granted, you may be granted PERMISSION TO CONDUCT RESEARCH at UWC

    WHEN TO EXPECT AN OUTCOME: Conditional gatekeeper permission (point 1) is reviewed and approved by the Deputy Registrar. Once you submit your reciprocal ethics application (point 2), it is considered at the next HSSREC meeting after the submission closing date. Applications received after a closing date are considered at the following meeting. Outcomes are communicated after the meeting.
    Remaining 2026 HSSREC dates:
    Closing date 15 October 2026, meeting 29 October 2026
    Closing date 11 November 2026, meeting 25 November 2026

    CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE HSSREC APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

    WHAT IS RECIPROCAL ETHICS APPROVAL?

    A mutual recognition arrangement where ethics approval granted by one institution is recognized by another partner institution, enabling collaborative research across sites without duplicating full reviews, while ensuring all parties’ ethical requirements are satisfied.

    Queries: researchperm@uwc.ac.za

  • OPTION 3

    This means that you are affiliated with a South African university or institution that does not hold NHREC accreditation, but you do have their internal institutional ethics approval for your study.

    Note: You may need to provide alternative ethics approval documents or collaborate with a SA-based ethics review if required by the research approval process.

    1. Ensure you have identified a UWC collaborator and that they have agreed to collaborate with you on your research (you must source this collaborator on your own)
    2. Apply for FULL ETHICS CLEARANCE via UWC with the aide of your UWC collaborator
    3. Once ethics  clearance has been applied for or approved by UWC, apply for PERMISSION TO CONDUCT RESEARCH with the aide of your UWC collaborator

    Next Step: Secure a UWC collaborator to support you in preparing and submitting your ethics clearance documentation.

    CLICK HERE TO ACCESS ETHICS FORMS

    For queries related to ethics applications: hssrec@uwc.ac.za

  • OPTION 4

    This means that you are linked to an international or external institution (or a joint-degree arrangement with UWC) and you do not have ethics clearance from a South African institution that is NHREC-accredited.

    Note: You may need to provide alternative ethics approval documents or collaborate with a SA-based ethics review if required by the research approval process.

    1. Ensure you have identified a UWC collaborator and that they have agreed to collaborate with you on your research (you must source this collaborator on your own)
    2. Apply for FULL ETHICS CLEARANCE via UWC with the aide of your UWC collaborator
    3. Once ethics  clearance has been applied for or approved, apply for PERMISSION TO CONDUCT RESEARCH with the aide of your UWC collaborator

    Joint degree researchers would require ethics clearance from both institutions.

    Next Step: Secure a UWC collaborator (for Joint degree students, this will be your UWC supervisor) to support you in preparing and submitting your ethics clearance documentation.

    CLICK HERE TO ACCESS ETHICS FORMS

    For queries related to ethics applications: hssrec@uwc.ac.za

  • STEP 1: APPLICANT DETAILS

  • STEP 2: SUPERVISOR DETAILS 

    To be completed if the application is made by a student

  • STEP 3: NATURE OF RESEARCH AND ETHICS DETAILS

  • LEVEL OF RISK*
  • RELEVANT DATA SOURCES (Requesting permission to conduct research involving)*
  • APPROACH (How will you be conducting the research)*
  • EXPIRATION DATE OF ETHICS APPROVAL (as stated on your ethics clearance approval letter). If you are still awaiting ethics clearance please select a date that is one year from the date of your ethics clearance applciation*
     - -
    2 digit day, 2 digit month, 4 digit year

  • STEP 4: DOCUMENT UPLOAD

    Documents should be less than 5MB and preferably in pdf format.

  • The following documents are required when submitting an application and must be submitted as one combined PDF document, in the order listed below:

    1. HSSREC application form
    2. Host Institution's ethical clearance letter
    3. Consent forms
    4. Information Sheet
    5. Permission Letter
    6. Data Collection Tool/s
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  • STEP 5: TERMS AND CONDITIONS

  • I am familiar with the University of the Western Cape’s Policy on Research Ethics and agree to adhere to it in order to protect the rights of UWC staff and students. • I am familiar with the University of the Western Cape’s Research and Innovation policy and agree to adhere to it in order to protect the rights of UWC staff and students • I am familiar with the University of the Western Cape’s Intellectual Property Policy and agree to adhere to it in order to protect the rights of UWC staff and students. • I am familiar with the Protection of Private Information Act, no 4 of 2013 and agree to adhere to in order to protect the rights of UWC staff and students. • I am familiar with the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 and agree to adhere to in order to protect the rights of UWC staff and students 

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