Page 20 - NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN MINISTRY OF HEALTH (MOH) INSTITUTIONS & FACILITIES 3RD EDITION 2021

Policy Statements
Research Review Secretariat (HRRC Secretariat)
i. Assign and distribute the research application received from JPP-CRC Secretariat to
HRRC Reviewers for review and recommendation;
ii. Oversee and monitor the review process by the HRRC Reviewers; and
iii. Forward the completed reviewed research applications with recommendations from
HRRC Reviewers to MREC for further action and consideration.
Research Review Committee (HRRC Reviewers)
i. Review the scientific merit of the research applications; and
ii. Propose recommendations to support or reject the research applications based on the
review.
3.5 Ethical Review

Research involving human subjects requires prior ethics review and approval by the
Medical Research and Ethics Committee (MREC), MOH.

A human subject (in the context of research) is “a living individual about whom an investigator
obtains either data through intervention (clinical trial) or interaction (questionnaire in health
survey) with the individual or investigator has access to identifiable private information
(medical record or personal data)” [8].

Submission to MREC for ethics review and approval is conducted online through NMRR.
3.6 MOH Research Grant (MRG) Approval

The MRG Review Panel chaired by the Deputy Director-General of Health (Research and
Technical Support) shall convene and gives final approval to research requesting funds
that have been supported by the JPP-NIH Panel and have obtained MREC approval.

3.7 Publication and Presentation Approval

All dissemination of scientific outputs such as abstracts for oral or poster presentation,
research reports, journal articles, conference proceedings undertaken by MOH personnel
OR utilising data of MOH patient/ sample/ personnel as subject OR funded by a MOH
research grant shall require review and subsequent approval by the Director-General of
Health prior to publication and presentation.

04 NIH Guidelines for Conducting Research in MOH, 2021