Upholding ethical and scientific integrity in all TUM-affiliated research.
1. Introduction
The Technical University of Mombasa Ethics and Scientific Review Committee (TUM-SERC) is a university-level committee mandated to ensure that all research conducted under the institution upholds the highest ethical and scientific standards.
The Committee safeguards the rights, safety, dignity, and well-being of human participants, communities, and the environment. TUM-SERC is accredited by the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) to conduct ethics review of research protocols in Biomedical, Social, Behavioral, Environmental, and Physical Sciences.
TUM-SERC operates independently, transparently, and in alignment with:
- NACOSTI regulations
- National Guidelines for Ethical Conduct of Research Involving Humans
- International best practices (Declaration of Helsinki, Belmont Report, CIOMS Guidelines)
2. Accreditation and Institutional Mandate
TUM-SERC performs ethics review and monitoring of:
- Undergraduate, postgraduate, and staff research
- Funded and collaborative research projects
- Student theses, dissertations, and faculty proposals
- Externally funded or multi-institutional studies
- Research involving human participants, biological materials, or sensitive data
The Committee is mandated to:
✔ Safeguard participant welfare
✔ Ensure scientific validity
✔ Ensure ethical compliance
✔ Monitor approved studies
✔ Provide guidance on ethical research conduct
✔ Facilitate capacity building in research ethics
3. Composition of the Committee
The SERC consists of a multidisciplinary team of members appointed by the Vice-Chancellor. The membership includes:
- Senior academic staff from diverse Schools
- Biomedical and health sciences experts
- Social and behavioral scientists
- Environmental and physical science experts
- A legal expert
- A community (lay) representative
- Members with expertise in ethics, proposal review, and research governance
Members have undergone specialized ethics training from NACOSTI, KEMRI, KAVI, SARETI, and other recognized institutions.
4. Scope of Review
TUM-ESRC reviews research involving:
- Human participants
- Vulnerable populations
- Personal data and privacy-sensitive information
- Biomedical procedures and specimen collection
- Community-based research
- Digital and online data
- Environmental and ecological impact studies
- Public health and epidemiological studies
- Behavioral and social science research