Plymouth Ethics Online System

Online system supporting the ethical review process
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The Plymouth Ethics Online System (PEOS) is a flexible web-based management system to help facilitate and streamline the ethical review process. PEOS is available to members of staff, postgraduate research and taught (PGR/PGT) students and School of Health Professions undergraduate students (stage 2 and 3 only) at the University of Plymouth. The system enables applicants to submit and track their applications as well as make it easier for the Faculty Research Ethics and Integrity Committees to conduct reviews, provide feedback and approve applications.

Access the ethics online system

To access the system, please use the above links and log in with your University of Plymouth username and password (the same information you use to access your email).
 

Updates

Updates performed to the ethics application form will be noted on the login page with the date and time of update.
The next update will be on: TBC
Please note an update was performed to the ethics application form on 16 July 2024 at 13:56
This update included:
  • changes to improve the application process for Service Evaluations and Audits
  • changes to Study Type options: Research / Secondary data use, Service Evaluation / Audit
  • new questions on secondary data use for researchers applying to access Office for National Statistics data via SRS
  • new amendment form for Animal Research ethics applications
If you see "Note: There is a newer version of the project. Update" or "Warning: The project owner must update your project in order to submit this form. Update" on your application, any user with an application in progress on the date and time shown will need to update their form by selecting "Update" at the top of the page before it can be submitted. If you are waiting for your form to be signed by another collaborator/supervisor/director of studies, you will need to select the update and then re-sign and re-request the required signatures to submit your application.
 

Helpful information

Guidance on how to use the Plymouth Ethics Online System (PEOS) can be found on the University of Plymouth SharePoint site or on the help pages of the PEOS system.
For technical issues using the system, please contact the Ethics Online System support team, including your 4-digit Project ID:
Applicants can watch the short help tutorial below which demonstrates how to submit an application.
For general research ethics support, please contact the research ethics support team:
For all enquiries relating to IRAS; NHS; HTA; SCREC; MODREC; CAG; HMPS, please contact the Plymouth Sponsor team: 
For enquiries relating to research involving the use of animals, please contact the Animal Welfare Ethical Review Body support team:
For general research ethics support for undergraduate students in the School of Health Professions, please contact:

More information about each faculty/sponsor committee can be found in their respective SharePoint sites:
If you're applying from Planning and Analytics or SERIO, you will need to choose the Committee you're submitting your application to (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business) and if you are unsure, please contact the appropriate committee administrator from the list above.
If you wish to make an amendment to a historical application (made prior to PEOS), then please contact research.ethics@plymouth.ac.uk
 

Personal details information

Since the University personal profile pages were decommissioned, users have not had a way to update their personal information or add an address. This means that there are no address details being pulled through to the PEOS system. However, if you would like to amend this, then you can do so by updating your personal details, which can be found in the location where you log in and at the top right of the screen. Select your name and choose personal details and then amend your details in the box that appears. Once saved, this will then (only) update the PEOS system PI address.
 

Submitting your application

Please ensure you sign and then request all signatures within your form (Other collaborators (co-investigators)/Director of Studies/Supervisor) if required. Other collaborators external to the University will not be able to sign the form (due to single sign on authentication). Committees do not require these to review your application, but if you would like an external signatory to sign the form, then we recommend you scan their signature in as a miscellaneous document.
If you are resubmitting and have co-investigators within your form, you only need to gain one of those signatures for re-submission. If you have a Director of Studies/Supervisor you will need to gain their signature.
The system features an automatic submission function, which will automatically submit your application after all required signatures are obtained. If you are signing an application, please ensure you remain logged into the system until the screen refreshes and you receive email confirmation that: 
  • your signature has been accepted, and
  • your application has been successfully submitted.
If you do not receive an email confirmation within one hour of everyone signing the form, please perform the following:
  1. Open the application and double check the form status; it should be listed as submitted or resubmitted. If the status is one of these, please email your requested signatory if you have one or FRIEC Administrator to double-check that they have received your application.
  2. If the form status is listed as ‘not submitted’ or 'changes requested', then please double check:
    • that an appropriate signature has been obtained
    • that no additional blank signature boxes are listed
    • that all relevant sections have been completed 
    • that the application is not pending a mandatory update (listed in a bar at the top of the screen).
If you have performed all of these checks and the application has still not automatically submitted, please email Plymouth Ethics Online System support at ethics-online-system@plymouth.ac.uk and provide your project reference number, title and a screenshot confirming these criteria and a member of the team will be able to assist you.
 
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Training

There are extensive guides for all users of the system available above and applicants can watch the quick help tutorial which demonstrates how to submit an application. R&I also provides training on how to use the Plymouth Ethics Online System with one to one or group training.
Please contact ethics online system support at ethics-online-system@plymouth.ac.uk to arrange a bespoke training session.

Faculty of Health Staff, PGR, and PGT applications 

The Faculty of Health Research Ethics and Integrity Committee for Staff, PGR and PGT run a monthly cycle of submission dates and review meetings, listed below. Please note there is no Faculty of Health FREIC meeting in August. 
NB: If your study requires HRA and/or REC approval, please submit 10 working days before the deadline to allow time for the Sponsor team to review.

Faculty of Health staff/PhD committee (except psychology) dates

Staff / PhD Submission deadline 5pm Meeting date and time Response date
Sep 24 (A) Thursday 15/08/2024 Thursday 05/09/2024 13:00–16:00 Thursday 12/09/2024
Sep 24 (B) Tuesday 03/09/2024 Wednesday 25/09/2024 10:00–13:00 Wednesday 02/10/2024
Oct 24 Wednesday 02/10/2024 Thursday 24/10/2024 13:00–16:00 Thursday 31/10/2024
Nov 24 Tuesday 29/10/2024 Tuesday 19/11/2024 19:00–13:00 Tuesday 26/11/2024
Dec 24 Tuesday 22/11/2024 Friday 13/12/2024 13:00–16:00 Friday 03/01/2025
Jan 25 Tuesday 17/12/2024 Wednesday 15/01/2025 10:00–13:00 Wednesday 22/01/2025
 

Faculty of Health taught masters committee (except psychology) dates

Taught Masters Submission deadline 5pm FREIC meeting date and time Response date
Sep 24 Tuesday 10/09/2024 Tuesday 24/09/2024 09:30–11:30 Tuesday 01/10/2024
Oct 24 Tuesday 01/10/2024 Wednesday 23/10/2024 13:00–16:00 Wednesday 30/10/2024
Nov 24 Friday 01/11/2024 Friday 22/11/2024 09:30–11:30 Friday 29/11/2024
Dec 24 Tuesday 26/11/2024 Tuesday 17/12/2024 09:30–11:30 Monday 06/01/2025
Jan 25 Tuesday 17/12/2024 Friday 17/01/2025 13:00–16:00 Friday 24/01/2025
 
 

New grant pre-award process

The University has now switched the research grant pre-award process (encompassing project costing, peer review and approval) from paper-based to fully electronic and online.
The new tool is called Award Manager and sits within Unit4. It provides instant access to real-time data about research activities, allows for split costing between schools and departments and streamlines the approval process.
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Infonetica case study

The University of Plymouth's new ethics review system went live on 20 April 2020 and is being used by staff, taught masters and postgraduate research students. They have found the software to be intuitive, easy to use, efficient and time saving, in handling the 350–400 low to high risk ethics applications the University receives in a typical year. The new system fulfilled the requirements to provide a single repository for all review documentation as well as to assure full GDPR compliance.
 
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Research ethics

Paper people surrounded by hands in gesture of protection. Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Ethical review

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