Research Ecosystem

The Ateneo de Manila University Research Ethics Office (UREO) develops University policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) pertaining to ethics and institutional ethics review for research involving human participants. The office ensures that policies and procedures are consistent with University, national, and international standards and principles of scientific integrity, safety, and beneficence, respect for human rights and dignity, and justice. 

UREO provides seminars and workshops, materials, and other activities to disseminate information and build capacity in the University for the ethical conduct of research with human participants. 

The office also provides administrative support to the Ateneo de Manila University Research Ethics Committee (AdMUREC), a multidisciplinary body of trained faculty, professionals, and community and non-affiliated representatives from different disciplines such as the sciences, social sciences, humanities, medicine, and management.  It reviews and provides ethics clearance to research involving human participants that is conducted under the auspices of the University. The committee ensures that such research is conducted in accordance with institutional, national, and international ethical standards and guidelines. It is constituted by two review panels: the regular Higher Education panel and the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) panel.

The establishment of the UREC is in accordance with the directives of the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS), particularly the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB); the DOST, DOH, CHED, UPM Joint Memorandum Order 2012-001 (“Requirement for Ethical Review of Health Research Involving Human Participants”); and the DOST-PCHRD, DOH, CHED, UPM-NIH Administrative Order 001-2013 (“Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 10532 – or the Philippine National Health Research System Act of 2013”). 

The composition, functions, and processes of the UREC are aligned with the National Ethical Guidelines for Health Research (2011), the World Health Organization (WHO) Standards and Operational Guidance for Ethics Review (2011), the Belmont Report (1979), and the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (1964), among other international guidelines.