UMI is a leading postgraduate educational institution in Uganda, More than 80% of the academic staff at UMI have PhDs. With the Institute’s strategic direction of being a research and innovation-led institute, UMI is committed to providing high-quality education and training programs that are relevant, practical, and innovative and that can make a positive impact on Uganda’s economy and society, they are informed by cutting-edge research and innovative practices. As a research-led Institute, UMI conducts research that is relevant and applicable to the needs of the business community, government agencies, and other stakeholders in Uganda and beyond. The institute’s research agenda is committed to addressing critical societal and economic issues, such as poverty, unemployment, and inequality.

UMI also encourages innovation in all its activities, from teaching and learning to administration and management. The institute is committed to creating a supportive environment for innovation, where faculty, staff, and participants/ students are encouraged to generate and implement new ideas and practices that can drive positive change in Uganda’s economy and society. To achieve its strategic direction of being a research and innovation-led institute, UMI has invested in state-of-the-art facilities, recruited highly qualified faculty members, and established partnerships with leading research institutions and universities in Uganda and abroad. UMI’s research and innovation initiatives are designed to equip students, faculty, and staff with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the rapidly changing global economy. It is against this background that UMI is established a Research Ethics Committee (REC) as a key component of the strategic direction to be a research and innovation-led institution. UMI REC is accredited by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) on January 25, 2024. REC is a body responsible for reviewing and approving research proposals to ensure they meet ethical standards. UMI REC will, therefore, ensure that all research conducted by its faculty, participants/ students, and other researchers is conducted in an ethical manner and in compliance with national and international ethical standards.

The Uganda Management Institute Research Ethics Committee (UMI REC) is committed to providing technical support in accordance with the national, regional, and international ethical guidelines to protect the rights and welfare of humans in research involving humans as research participants in Humanities and Social Science Research (HSSR).

The UMI REC promotes a high level of ethical research practice and protects the rights, dignity, and welfare of research participants and researchers during and after research projects.

1. SO1:  To maintain public confidence in the ethical quality of research and innovation conducted by UMI participants, staff and other researchers not affiliated with UMI
2. SO2:  To provide ethical standards and procedures for the conduct of research involving humans as research participants;
3. SO3:  To act as a gate to the Institute researchers and supervisors by providing high institutional-level leadership on ethical matters arising out of research and innovation;
4. SO4:  To recommend policies and procedures for the Institute concerning research ethics involving human participants to maintain high standards of research integrity;
5. SO5:  To foster a culture among staff and students that is sensitive to ethical considerations where research with people is concerned and
6. SO6:  To ensure that research and resulting interventions contribute to promoting gender equality whenever possible.

UMI REC will act as an independent reviewer of any proposed study in Humanities and Social Science Research (HSSR) regarding human research participants by safeguarding the rights, safety, and welfare of researcher(s) and research participants. The REC will comply with the functions set by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology in the National Guidelines for Research involving Humans as Research Participants 2014. These functions include:

1. To review all research involving human participants while maintaining ethical standards of practice in research;
2. To protect research participants and researchers from harm or exploitation;
3. To preserve the research participant’s rights and welfare during the research process;
4. To provide assurance to society of the protection of rights and welfare of research participants; and
5. To ensure that researcher(s) adhere to the approved ethical conduct of research protocols.
6. To provide an independent, competent, and timely review of the ethics of proposed studies.
7. To make informed judgments of the scientific merit of proposals and recommendations to the researcher if the proposal is found to be wanting in some respect.
8. To develop policy documents to provide for any complexity in research-related ethical issues as they develop.