UKRI is committed to supporting ethical research and responsible innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The WHO, UNESCO and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, have produced ethics guidance on adapting to emergency contexts:
- Guidance for managing ethical issues in infectious disease, WHO, 27 October 2016
- Research in Global Health Emergencies, Nuffield Council on Bioethics, 28 January 2020
Some organisations have also accelerated their ethics approval processes for researchers working during emergencies.
Email us at ethics@ukri.org if you need further signposting to resources on ethics.
Key resources and guidance
- The Global Health Network: epidemics ethics resources
- Nuffield Council on Bioethics: research in global health emergencies: ethical issues
- World Health Organization: guidance for managing ethical issues in infectious disease
- Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences: international ethical guidelines for health-related research involving humans
- NHS Health Research Authority: COVID-19 research
- MHRA regulatory flexibilities resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19)
- NC3Rs and the 3Rs during COVID-19
- UKCDR: safeguarding during COVID-19
- Ensuring that COVID-19 research is Inclusive: guidance from the NIHR CRN INCLUDE project
Last updated: 6 February 2025