ERF application – Postgraduate student (MPhil, MSt, PhD)
Postgraduate students doing research involving human research participants or using protected data will need to seek Ethical Approval from the Ethics, Risk and Fieldwork (ERF) Committee. (Postgraduate students not needing ethical approval still need to fill in the application to indicate and confirm this.)
In addition, any research work taking place away from Cambridge and other research involving risks to the researcher requires the submission of a Risk Assessment.
Postgraduate students doing research away from Cambridge for more than two weeks at a time also need to apply for ‘Leave to Work Away’.
The online application form available below covers all of these applications and will guide you to the applications that are relevant to you.
If you have any further questions after reading these pages, please contact your programme administrator.
Ethical Approval
The specific procedure ethical approval requires depends on the nature of the participants and data involved. For more information and guidance on this, see the page with further information on ethical approval.
If your research does not involve human participants or use personal, controlled or confidential data, you will not need POLIS ERF Committee approval for your research, but still need to submit the form to confirm that this is the case. (The form will be brief in this case.)
Students should discuss with their supervisor whether working with adult participants or confidential data is appropriate for their research and how to address the ethical considerations and possible risks involved to the participants and to the student.
Risk Assessment
Risk Assessments are required for all research (for more than one day at a time) outside Cambridge for more than one day at a time and for some forms of research in Cambridge that involve particular risks to the researcher. For more information and guidance on this, see the page with further information on risk assessments.
As explained on this page, an important issue is to determine what the ‘level’ of risk is (as this determines the specific application that is required). Students should discuss this with their supervisor when they are planning to do research that requires a risk assessment.
Leave to Work Away
As indicated above, this application is required when conducting research away from Cambridge for more than two weeks at a time. This applies to research trips in and outside of term time.
In practice, this is relevant mostly to PhD students and MPP students doing their placement, but occasionally also applies to MPhil students. (Note: MSt students do not need to apply for leave to work away when doing research.)
One of the requirements of this application is to complete a risk assessment application.
(Note that if students wish to conduct research outside Cambridge for less than two weeks, they don’t need to apply for LTWA but must still complete a risk assessment!)
LTWA applications must first be submitted to the POLIS ERF committee before any formal application is made through CamSIS.
Supporting Documents
Applications for ethical approval to work with human participants require the submission of the following supporting information: a draft of the participant project information sheet (example available here) and a draft of participant consent form (template available here).
Deadlines
Deadlines for applications are indicated here.
Submitting the application
Please click on the box below to start your online application:
Amendment and Extension Forms
Amendment form - please use if the nature of your research has changed and you want to make minor amendments, or if the ERF committee have asked you to make amendments to your submitted application. Amendment form here.
Extension form - please use this form if you are currently on a research trip but you wish to extend your period of working away. Extension form here.