Background and Development of the Network of Research Ethics Committee (NREC)

Recognizing Naresuan University's strong foundation in human research ethics, the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) identified the university as a suitable lead institution for the Lower Northern Regional Ethics Network. This recognition stems from the fact that the Naresuan University Institutional Review Board (NU-IRB) has been accredited at both the national level (NECAST) and international level (SIDCER-FERCAP) since 2013.

As a result, Naresuan University and the NRCT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Regional Research Ethics Committee (RREC), with Naresuan University serving as the lead institution for the lower northern region. The RREC was officially established during 2016–2017. The MoU is renewed every three years, and to date, has been renewed three times since its inception. The most recent MoU (2021–2025) extends the renewal cycle to every five years, promoting long-term development and stability.

As the RREC became more well-known, several institutions across Thailand expressed interest in joining the network to enhance their own human research ethics review systems. Today, the network includes member institutions from across the country, not just from the lower northern region.

Given this national expansion, during Meeting No. 03/64 on March 24, 2021, the committee resolved to rename the "Regional Research Ethics Committee (RREC)" to the "Network of Research Ethics Committee (NREC)" to better reflect its current scope and activities.

Role of the Network of Research Ethics Committee (NREC)

The NREC is responsible for reviewing research proposals involving human participants conducted by personnel from member institutions, in accordance with NRCT's regulations.

All human research projects seeking annual research funding must first receive ethical approval from an authorized ethics committee. The NREC operates in compliance with the NRCT’s National Standards for Human Research Ethics Committees. 

Panels of  NU-IRB

NU-IRB  has members from a variety of disciplines and interests, including medical and health sciences, humanities and social sciences, science and technology, molecular biology, and non-scientists from fields such as laws and education.  

NU-IRB has 4 panels including 

Panel 1: Health Sciences (สาขาวิชาวิทยาศาสตร์สุขภาพ)

Panel 2: Technology Sciences and Social Sciences and Humanities (สาขาวิชาวิทยาศาสตร์เทคโนโลยี และมนุษยศาสตร์สังคมศาสตร์)

Panel 3: Medical Sciences (สาขาวิชาวิทยาศาสตร์ทางการแพทย์)

Panel 4: Network of Research Ethics (NRE) started from 27 May 2025 

Meeting schedules

NU-NRE has scheduled meeting at least monthly, generally on the fourth week of each month.

Terms of NU-IRB committee

NU-IRB members serve for four years for the IRB chair and all members. The IRB chairs and vice-chairs collectively form the IRE Executive Committee. This committee meets occasionally to discuss matters of common interest to the IRBs, to refine policy and practice, and to strive for reasonable consistency across the IRBs.