Ethics Committee for Research in Environmental Sciences

 

The Ethics Committee for Research in Environmental Sciences (CEICA) was created as part of the Ethics Council of the University of Minho (CEUMinho), in compliance with the provisions set forth in articles 7 and 8 of the Rules of Procedure of CEUMinho. It is entrusted with securing and promoting ethical standards in order to protect and guarantee the integrity, dignity, honesty and ethical quality of experimental and research activities in environmental sciences carried out in the units/subunits of UMinho.

In undertaking its duties, CEICA shall act in compliance with the law, deontological codes and national and international declarations and guidelines on ethics and bioethics, in accordance with the legal provisions deriving from Decree-Law No 80/2018 of 15 October, which establishes the principles and rules applicable to the composition, constitution, competencies and functioning of the ethics committees that form part of health institutions and higher educational institutions where clinical research is carried out.

Experimental and research activities carried out at UMinho in the fields of environmental sciences and technologies fall within CEICA’s competence, in order to ensure that research objectives do not violate the rights and ethical principles of the dignity, safety and well-being of human beings and animals used in research.

CEICA analyses the issues submitted to it by CEUMinho in accordance with the provisions of the Rules of Procedure of this Council and the Committee’s Guidelines.

Members

Guidelines and Guide

The Guidelines of the Ethics Committee for Research in Environmental Sciences​ (CEICA), contained in Deliberation CEUMinho-3/2018, of 18 December, establish the rules of action and operation of the Committee, created under the Board of Ethics of UMinho.

The processes for assessment by the Ethics Committee for Research in Environmental Sciences (CEICA), for the ethical evaluation of R&D projects, must be organised in accordance with the ethical principles and best practices contained in the Code of Ethical Conduct of UMinho, and in compliance with the provisions of the Internal Regulations of CEUMinho and the Guidelines for the operation of CEICA, following other considerations and general guidelines contained in national, European and international regulations, standards and directives.

The processes must be carried out in accordance with the Guide for the Submission of Processes ​ to be considered by CEICA, in the annex to CEUMinho Deliberation-3/2018, of 18 December, and presented by the project leaders to the Chairperson of CEUMinho. The submission of requests for opinions is always open.

In order to facilitate the organisation of the process, a Project Identification and Characterisation Form is made available, to be completed and submitted for the purposes of an ethical opinion by CEICA.

Documents