(1) The Ethics Committee (EC) is a committee consisting of faculty members and external experts constituted by the Director, CDS which examines submissions regarding research proposals from student researchers, faculty researchers, and researchers receiving funding and support from research units and projects at CDS, and determines if they may be cleared or not.
(2) The EC is to be composed of three faculty members and two external experts. The composition of the committee must be such that it is able to examine proposals that are built on diverse methodological foundations and use diverse research tools. The Director may choose and appoint the external experts whose work may be acknowledged with appropriate honoraria according to CDS rules.
(3) Students may use the submission form to submit their proposals to the Chair, EC for approval through their supervisors. Other researchers may send it directly to the Chair, EC.
(4) The EC evaluations are to be largely internal, and the minimum quorum for examining submissions in the Ethics Committee must be two.
(5) In case of a lack of consensus about the submission, external members of the Ethics Committee may be consulted and their decision can be final.
(6) The EC can offer suggestions for improvement of the submissions. The ethical protocol of the study must be finalised only after these suggestions are taken into account. The EC also is to receive a report from the student/researcher at the completion of the research that recount the practical application of the ethical protocol during the research.
(7) The EC is to acknowledge submissions immediately, and finalize their response within two weeks. A written response should be offered to the student/researcher within a week of finalisation. If the view of the external experts is found necessary, the student must be informed and the anticipated delay communicated clearly. Every effort must be made to minimise delay.