Xavier Ateneo recognizes the need for research studies in which people serve as human participants. The purpose of the Xavier University Research Ethics Board (XU REB), and its component Research Ethics Committees (RECs), is to safeguard the dignity, rights, safety, and well-being of all actual or potential research participants or subjects. It shall review and approve the adequacy of protection for human participants of projects submitted to it for consideration.

All faculty, student, or staff research projects, as well as research within teaching sessions, must receive approval from XU REB prior to commencement of research, unless an exemption applies.

The functions of the XU REB are:

1. To evaluate the conduct of research in accordance with the provisions of all current accepted international and national guidelines involving human participants or subjects (e.g.
2. To determine the acceptability of specific research proposal based on organization commitments and regulations, local laws, standards of professional conduct and practice, and community mores or customs, values and needs;
3. To promote research integrity by identification and resolution of conflicts of interest; and
4. To establish appropriate mechanisms in all stages of the project in order to ensure safety, protect the rights, and promote the welfare and well-being of human participants; provide counsel to researchers and human participants; ensure prompt reporting of changes in the protocol and unanticipated problems; and ensure proper documentation and adherence to the confidentiality rule and policy on informed consent.

The XU REB will:

1. Review the ethics of research protocols along with supporting documents used

2. Decide to approve or disapprove research protocols based on the following:

●   ethical acceptability of the research, including its social value and scientific validity,
●   adequate informed consent procedures (including cultural appropriateness and mechanisms
     to ensure voluntariness),
●   measures to ensure protection of vulnerable populations,
●   acceptable ratio of potential benefits to risks of harms, o minimization of risks,
●   fair procedures for selection of participants, and impact of research on the communities from
     which participants will be drawn both during research and after it is completed (WHO,2011); and

3. Provide independent, competent and timely ethical review of research with human participants.