Training and Guidance

Please follow this link to the Frequently Asked Questions page to read answers relating to both general ethics questions and system-related questions.

EOS Staff User Guides

Staff Application User Guide

Supervisor Support and User Guide

Reviewer and Chair User Guide

Staff Amendment User Guide

Faculty and School Troubleshooting Guide

Module Level Approval Process and Guidance 

EOS Student User Guides

Student Application User Guide

Student Amendment User Guide

EOS Videos

We have provided a range of video resources for staff and students to assist with use of the Ethics Online System.

Ethics Introduction

A short video introducing the Ethics webpages and to show how to access the Ethics Online System.

Student Application Guidance

A brief video to support students making an ethics application, to submit module level approval applications, and some contextual information on the review process.

Staff Application Guidance

A video to walk staff through the process of applying for ethical approval for both individual projects and for module level approval, and offer some contextual information on the review process.

Reviewer and Chair Guidance

Guidance for reviewers and chairs on how to access, navigate, add comments, and conduct reviews in the Ethics Online System whilst offering some contextual information about roles and responsibilities.

Postgraduate Research Students are invited to attend the ‘Postgraduate Research Ethics Training’ session. This session is open to all PGR Students regardless of which year of study they may be in. However, for students in their first year, this is a mandatory session that must be completed in your first 12 months, before Annual Progression (Year One), and before data collection or research activity commences. This session is mandatory, but submitting a formal ethics application before AP1 is not. This session is in-person only. Please find below dates for the current term; any future sessions will be advertised at the beginning of each term.

Wednesday 4th February 2026, 10:00-11:30, NBD 252

Thursday 19th March 2026, 10:00-11:30, NBD 442

If you are a distance learning student and cannot attend, please email ethicssupport@northumbria.ac.uk and include your faculty, school, and the date/month when you're training is due (i.e. 12 months from your start date).

All academic staff must complete the mandatory ethics module on NU People and Finance every three years.

Staff can access this following the below steps:

• Log in to NUPF.
• Click the 'Me' tab.
• Then click the 'Learning' tile.
• A screen is shown where a course name can be typed in to search for it.
• Search for 'Northumbria University: Research Ethics'.
• Click on the item.
• Click 'enroll' to launch the course.

Please note that NUPF is hosted by HR, so any queries should be directed to them.

Please follow this link to the Research calendar on LibCal to browse and register for Ethics and Integrity events. These include sessions focusing on support with your ethics application, support for our college of reviewers, and other unique sessions.

Resources from from previous sessions can be found on the 'Previous Ethics Sessions' Intranet page (staff only).

Northumbria University is subscribed to UKRIO (UK Research Integrity Office) and has access to their Introduction to Research Integrity online course – you can read more about the course on their website or watch this short video.

This course is beneficial to:

• Early career researchers (PhD students, postdocs and fellows).
• Established researchers (PIs, lecturers, professors).
• Senior research leaders (PVCs, directors, heads of departments/centres).
• Research support staff (technicians, research assistants, data/project infrastructure support).
• Research governance staff (research integrity, culture, governance and ethics professionals).

Learners will gain:

• A strong understanding of research integrity and how to apply its principles.
• Knowledge of good research practices to support high-quality work and prevent breaches of research integrity.
• Strategies to navigate common research integrity challenges.
• An overview of national guidelines, governance frameworks, and available support systems.
• Awareness of how personal and professional approaches to research integrity contribute to a strong research culture.

Further information:

• Completion time for the entire course is estimated to be 4-6 hours but will vary person to person.
• The course consists of 4 modules, each followed by and 8-10 question end of module quiz. You must score 80% or higher on each module to progress, but you have unlimited attempts to do so.
• You will receive a certificate upon completion of the course, to show your commitment to upholding integrity in research.
• You can read more about the course in the Learner Starter Pack.

Accessing the course

You can access the UKRIO eLearning portal at this link.

When accessing the course for the first time, you will need to register using your name, surname, and Northumbria University email address. You can save your progress and return to the course at any time. If you experience any technical difficulties, please first consult the Software Technical FAQs. If you need further support, please contact training@ukrio.org.

This course runs in a 12 month cycle from 21st May 2025 to 21st May 2026. Learners can enrol at any time in this period, enabling more flexibility when it comes to your learning and development.