The Research Ethics Committee
Composed of researchers, representatives of civil society, the Data Protection Officer of Sorbonne University and representatives of the University's Legal Affairs Directorate, the Research Ethics Committee (the CER in French) is responsible for issuing an ethical opinion on non-interventional research protocols involving human subjects when they do not a priori fall within the remit of a Protection of Persons Committee (PPC).
The purpose of referral to the Sorbonne University CER is then to evaluate the ethical issues of the research protocol and, as applicable, make recommendations. In doing so, the CER ensures that research protocols comply with rules and recommendations in force regarding the protection of research participants and data and, as applicable, proposes the modifications it deems necessary to ensure this compliance.
The CER is competent to review protocols for non-interventional research involving humans in fields such as engineering, digital sciences, humanities, social sciences and cognitive sciences.
The CER issues an ethical opinion on the research protocols submitted to it, in particular:
- On the protection of people,
- On the risk/benefit balance, including psychological risk,
- In the relevant public policy, in particular for non-discrimination, unless the need for the research objectively requires it.
The CER offers researchers and academic researchers from Sorbonne University and the Sorbonne University Alliance the opportunity to examine the ethical aspects of their research protocol. This structure is at their disposal.
The creation of the Ethics Committee was submitted to the members of the Board of Directors for opinion on 19 November 2019 and won unanimous backing.