The IDI Scientific Review Committee (SRC) is a multidisciplinary team of 11 professionals that reviews the quality of scientific research carried out at IDI. This team meets monthly to review research proposals. The team may call upon a consultant if additional expertise is needed to conduct a review. Since only well designed projects are ethically justifiable, only projects approved by the SRC are recommended to the National Ethics Committee for further consideration.
The SRC is responsible for:
1. Reviewing and evaluating all research projects involving IDI facilities, staff and patients by ensuring that the scientific question being asked is important and that the design of the study is appropriate to answer that question. In particular the committee will focus on:
- Clarity of the research question
- Rigor and feasibility of methods
- Qualifications and expertise of the research team
- Appropriateness and efficiency of design
- Scholarship and pertinence of background material and rationale
- Adequacy of sample size and controls
- Capacity building at Makerere University
- Validity of the statistical analysis plan
2. Annually monitoring the progress of multi-year research projects to ensure continued adherence and progress of the approved proposal;
3. Periodically reviewing IDI policies regarding research to ensure that policies remain current;
4. Maintaining accurate archives of submissions, meetings and decisions (this will be in the form of a file including copies of proposals reviewed, communication with investigators, and minutes of meetings where proposals were discussed);
5. Seeking legal, scholarly or other advice as required;
6. Reviewing external funding partners' policies on appropriate conduct for research projects; considering how these policies might affect what is allowable in IDI’s clinical setting;
7. Preparing an annual update to be included in IDI’s Annual Report.
Note: Researchers should be aware that all clinical research conducted at the IDI must comply with guidelines, standards, and regulations of the Makerere University Faculty of Medicine and Mulago Hospital, as well as the federal board, The Uganda National Council for Science and Technology. Projects should also fit within IDI’s institutional priorities that will be in line with changing national priorities.
