Legal and ethical issues in research are very important matters. Each Country in the world has it’s own laws and procedures. It is advisable for researchers or grant applicants to contact their various Ethics Committees in their country of residence to obtain the necessary advice and permission before undertaking their projects.

Some countries operate a form of Research Governance. For example, in the United Kingdom, the Department of Health had published a Guideline of Research Governance for Health and Social Care, which institutions and researchers are required to comply with. It is also advisable for researchers to make sure that they comply with the various policies in their respective countries.

The following rules, and procedures govern all JIARE grants and awards:

Letters of Awards: General Rules and Procedures

• All successful candidates for JIARE grants and awards are sent Awards Letters notifying them of the awards and outlining some general terms and conditions, which are open for negotiations.
• Letters of Awards are not final Contract of Awards and should not be taken to mean the same thing.
• All candidates are required to sign a copy of the Letters of Awards and return to JIARE within a given period.
• Letters of Award provides some information about the award, which includes, the types of award, the expected starting dates for the project, the institution where the project can be undertaken, the grant recipients and beneficiaries (Fellows), and certain conditions for the award.
• Candidates can negotiate the variation of certain terms and conditions after receipt of the letter of award and such requests can be send to the appropriate award committee, who would make decisions on the enquiries raised.
• JIARE and the candidate(s) can agree to vary certain conditions in the award letter where the candidate(s) has an established affiliation with a host institution.
• All the agreed and relevant information obtained from the candidate(s) institution, as requested from the Letters of Awards would be incorporated in the Final Contract of Award agreement.

Contract of award: General Rules and Procedures

• Contract of award is a legal document, which is sent to the Fellow(s) and their host institutions for consultation and signing.
• All the terms and conditions within the contract of award should be adhered to by the Fellow(s) and their host institution.
• Where a condition of an award depends on the host institution providing certain facilities, for example, space, furniture and other resources for carrying out the project, the agreement must be complied with. Withdrawal by the institution on any of the resources agreed before notifying JIARE in writing about the change, will constitute a breach of condition.
• In such case, JIARE will seek a detailed report from the Fellow(s), which would be used in any future legal action or similar procedures.
• Where it is obvious that a breach of condition affects the Fellow(s) work or progress, JIARE would support the Fellow(s) in any legal action or similar procedures.
• Any intended change in the terms and conditions set out in the signed Contract of Award must be sent to JIARE in writing before implementing the change. Agreement of the Fellow(s) should be obtained in writing as part of the legal requirement for the change.
• Where a host institution or the Fellow(s) breached any of the agreed terms and conditions of an award, JIARE would withdraw the award, and may also take further actions as necessary.
• Where there are disputes arising from the project under the award, 28 days period would be allowed for both JIARE and the host institution to resolve the queries.
• If the queries cannot be resolved, 90 days notice would be given to close the project, and appropriate actions taken where a breach of condition has occurred.
• If a project closes, the Fellow(s) is entitled to take the remaining of the work and equipment to another institution in order to continue with their work.
• All awards are subject to constant evaluations in order for the Academy to make sure that value for money has been met. To this end, the Fellow(s) of every award is required to produce annual reports, which should be received at the Academy no later than six months after the year of the report. Each Annual Report must contain the following:
  • Name of the project and the stage/phase of work.
  • The year of the activities being reported.
  • Name of the Section, Unit, Department or Faculty where the project is located, including the emblem or sign of the Institution.
  • Publication details, including imprints, names of editors, where applicable and any acknowledgments.
  • Contents page, showing an outline of the activities being reported.
  • Introductory section to the report.
  • A general review of the year’s activities section, providing a summary of the important feature of the Fellow(s) work and other special events that have taken place during the year.
  • A short report/abstract of each project being undertaken by the Fellow(s). These should contain the names of Project Leader, Co-investigators, awarding body, value of award, duration of each award and a short summary of the description of each project.
  • Location of the Section, Unit, Department or Faculty being sponsored and directions on how to get there.
  • Any other relevant information about the project.