The National Office for Research Ethics Committees was established in 2020 as a business unit within the Health Research Board (HRB), Ireland’s leading agency responsible funding research and delivering evidence to advance health and social care in Ireland.

Our mission is to ensure a robust, transparent and cohesive national research ethics review system that strengthens and complements the research infrastructure in Ireland.

We establish, operationalise and support National Research Ethics Committees (NRECs) whose remit is to deliver a single national ethics opinions for regulated health research studies:

- clinical trials on medicinal products
- clinical investigations of medical devices
- performance studies of in vitro diagnostic medical devices

We are committed to driving a harmonised and robust regulated health research ecosystem in Ireland, grounded in best ethical principles. In doing so, the need to safeguard participants’ safety, dignity, autonomy, and well-being is balanced with the need to support the advancement of innovative healthcare treatments and technologies. 

Clinical Trials

National Office for Research Ethics Committees

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