RESEARCH ETHICS POLICY

1.1.1 Academic Members: Faculty Members and Instructional Members.

1.1.2 Academic Research Members: University employees devoted primarily to Research, whether on part-time or full-time basis, holding the following position titles: Post-Doctoral Researcher (Post-Doc), Research Associate, or Research Assistants.

1.1.3 ARIED: Applied Research, Innovation, and Economic Development Directorate.

1.1.4 Alumni: Graduates of the University.

1.1.5 Confidential Information: Information and/or documents which are non-public, privileged, confidential, or proprietary to the University, pertaining to the University's Students, personnel, including the identity of employees, agents, and consultants employed or engaged by the University or any other professional information regarding such Students or personnel; and the University's operations in general, including reports, notes, video footage and audio recordings, findings, deliberations, discussions, deliverables, drafts, any technical, commercial, operational, business or financial information, developmental, marketing, sales, operating, performance, cost, plans, business methods, processes, database information, software licenses, applications, written code, logs, graphical art, the methods of operation and the various applications thereof, formulae, strategies, data, know-how, designs, photographs, drawings, specifications, technical literature, software development and design, business or software architecture, software not yet known to the public, clients or prospective clients, internal communications, events, meetings, Research and Research results, transactions, legal documents, regulatory affairs, discoveries, inventions, Intellectual Property disclosure forms; lists and contact details of suppliers; details of contracts with suppliers; financial reports, budgets and pricing lists; pricing structures and/or pricing strategies; technical information and know-how relating to the processes and operations devised, owned or used by the University; articles, algorithms, specifications, prospects, any other materials, curricula, training materials, any document marked "confidential" (or similar), or any information which the receiver has been told is confidential or which the receiver might reasonably expect the University would regard as confidential; any and all other information acquired and recorded through Research, Copyrightable Work and investigation in whatever form or medium, and any other information, of whatever nature whether written, oral, visual, in the form of data, documentation, graphics, electronically transmitted or through other machine readable form, or copies thereof, pertaining thereto, and any other proprietary business information that may have commercial or legal value when held confidentially.

1.1.6 External Grants: Research funding from external sources.

1.1.7 Faculty Members: Members of the Teaching and/or Research staff, whether on part-time or full-time contracts, holding the following ranks: Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Senior Lecturer/Senior Technical Instructor, or Lecturer/Technical Instructor.

1.1.8 Industrial Grants: External funding from industrial stakeholders.

1.1.9 Instructional Members: Members of the Teaching staff, whether on part-time or full-time contracts, holding the following titles: Assistant Lecturer/or Workshop/Lab/Clinical Instructor, Assistant Technical Instructor, Trades Technical Instructor, or Teaching Assistant.

1.1.10 Internal Funding for Research: Financial support provided by the University to support Research, innovation, and business development projects, using the University's own resources and budget allocations.

1.1.11 IRB: Institutional Review Board.

1.1.12 Research: The systematic and organized investigation of a subject/topic, and study of the materials and sources in order to establish new knowledge and/or reach new conclusions.

1.1.13 Research Activities: Actions undertaken to explore, investigate, and generate new knowledge or solutions, supporting applied Research and Innovation through data collection, analysis, and experimentation.

1.1.14 Research Contract: Any type of agreement between the University and an external party or Research sponsor, concerning Research being created at the University, on its behalf, or using University Resources.

1.1.15 Research Ethics: A set of principles and guidelines that govern the conduct of Research involving, but not limited to, human or animal subjects, aiming to protect their rights and well-being while maintaining the integrity of the Research.

1.1.16 Research Integrity: Compliance with Research Activities' scope, Research Ethics, Research Contracts, and legal framework.

1.1.17 Research Project: Any project that forms the basis of Research undertaken by the University and includes projects undertaken by:

1.1.17.1 a member of the University Community and/or Visitor or under their supervision;

1.1.17.2 any individual commissioned by the University to undertake Research.

1.1.18 Scholarly/Creative Activities: The empirical (experiential and applied) Research that is aligned to the focus of the University, and the orientation of the vocational and technical type of the education the University is providing, and intellectual attainment including; published journal papers, peer reviewed conference articles, book chapters, as well as other activities that are peer reviewed and/or publicly disseminated and which include the discovery of new knowledge; development of new materials/practices and/or new uses for existing materials/practices; and which broaden and expand the learning communities in which Academic Members function and in which the University is situated.

1.1.19 Staff: Person(s) employed by the University.

1.1.20 Student: A person who is presently enrolled at the University in a credit Course or who is designated by the University as a Student.

1.1.21 University: University of Doha for Science and Technology established by Emiri Resolution No. 13 of 2022.

1.1.22 University Community: Staff and Students.

1.1.23 University Resources: Facilities, equipment, human resources or funds of the University.

1.1.24 Visitor: Any individual who is not a Student, member of Staff, and who is present on University property for a specific purpose or activity, whether invited or not.

3.1.1 Academic Members;

3.1.2 Academic Research Members;

3.1.3 Staff;

3.1.4 Students; or

3.1.5 Eligible Alumni as defined in the relevant procedure;

3.1.6 External parties or research sponsors involved in/sponsoring Research with/by/for/at the University.

4.1.1 The overarching Research Ethics principles that inform the University's Research are:

4.1.1.1 Beneficence and non-maleficence/Prevention of Harm: Researchers must seek to protect participants from physical and psychological harm during the Research process.

4.1.1.2 Integrity, openness, and transparency: Informed consent and rights of participants must be ensured, particularly that of vulnerable participants with limited ability to provide consent.

4.1.1.3 Dignity and Respect: Researchers must be respectful of all societal groups, particularly those who are vulnerable, and ensure the appropriate use of rewards and incentives.

4.1.1.4 Responsibility and Accountability: Researchers have a responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of participants.

4.2.1 Reciprocity: Ensure that the participants who contribute to the Research, also receive some form of benefit, fair compensation, or acknowledgment, as per the applicable Intellectual property policies and procedures.

4.2.2 Accessibility: Ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their physical, sensory, cognitive, or socio-economic abilities, can participate in and benefit from the Research.

4.2.3 Accessibility: Researchers will aim, wherever possible, to disseminate their findings in the public domain and through learning and teaching roles at the University, subject to the applicable Intellectual property policies and procedures.

4.2.4 Independence: Researchers must not distort Research design and/or findings to meet Research Contract requirements.

4.2.5 Specified use of Research funding: Researchers must not use funding for purposes other than that specified in the Research Project scope.

4.2.6 Safe and secure data management: Steps must be taken to retain all research materials gathered (including physical and visual data) in a safe and confidential space.

4.2.7 Three R's: Research involving animals must aim to conform to the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement.

4.2.8 Conforming to the Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights: Researchers will subscribe to universal guidelines covering all issues in the field of bioethics.

4.6.1 The President is responsible for establishing an Institutional Research Board (IRB), in line with national and international best practices.

4.6.2 The mandate of the IRB includes:

4.6.2.1 Purpose: Ensure the ethical conduct of Research involving human subjects, in line with international ethical principles and the State of Qatar's national regulations.

4.6.2.2 Regulatory Framework: Operates under the directives of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), and adheres to international guidelines such as the Belmont Report and the Declaration of Helsinki.

4.6.2.3 Composition: Includes diverse members such as Academic Members, Academic Research Members, researchers, legal experts, and community representatives to provide balanced oversight.

4.6.2.4 Key Responsibilities:

4.6.2.4.1 Review and approve, require modifications or disapprove Research proposals to ensure compliance with ethical standards;

4.6.2.4.2 Assess the risks and benefits associated with Research to protect participants' welfare;

4.6.2.4.3 Monitor ongoing studies for adherence to approved protocols; and

4.6.2.4.4 Ensure informed consent processes are comprehensive, transparent, and culturally sensitive.

4.6.2.5 Alignment with National Guidelines: Registered with the Ministry of Public Health to comply with the State of Qatar's national policies, such as the "Policies, Regulations, and Guidelines for Research Involving Human Subjects."

4.6.2.6 Institutional Commitment: Reflects the University's commitment to ethical Research practices and aligns with the State of Qatar's vision for Research excellence.

4.6.2.7 Contribution to Research Integrity:

4.6.2.7.1 Protects the rights and welfare of participants;

4.6.2.7.2 Promotes a culture of ethical Research within the University; and

4.6.2.7.3 Ensures compliance with both local and international standards, enhancing the credibility and societal impact of Research.

4.6.3 The processes of the IRB are detailed in the accompanying procedure of this policy (Research Ethics Procedure (PR-AC-32)).

4.6.4 ARIED is responsible for forming and administrating working groups that address emerging Research Ethics issues, such as policies, technology impact, artificial intelligence, or environmental issues.

4.6.5 Prior to the establishment of its internal IRB, the University may rely on the review of external IRBs.

4.7.1 Approvals are required per the conditions set forth within the Research Ethics Procedure (PR-AC-32).