Ethiclear

Simplified ethical review for your human participant research

The UK's only GCP- and GDPR-compliant independent ethical review process serving these industries

Non-CTIMP research

Food / drinks & dietary supplements

Charity & non-profit

Wearables and real-world evidence

New product development (NPD)

Much more...

Start Application

Guidance Through A Grey Area

Have you ever been told you should get ethical review for your study, but there was no way to get it?

Sponsors and research organisations outside of the NHS and academia feel increasing pressure to demonstrate objectivity, ethical rigour and scientific credibility in their in human participant studies. This becomes impossible when:

01 - The NHS provision ethical review services - but only when it's within their remit

02 - An alternative is partnering with an academic institute with an in-house committee
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03 - Many organisations - charities, biotech, food technologists and more - don't or can't get access to this

CEO @ Biotics Startup

"We were told we didn't need (and couldn't even get) ethical review. We took every precaution but, even so, journals would not accept our work for publication..."

Project Manager @ Nutritional Company

"We felt anxious about promoting our results... we were made aware that we didn't need ethical review and, while the study was ethically sound, we had little proof for journal publication, marketing and stakeholders..."

We Can Help

Get robust ethical review

Our review process is designed to be thorough, efficient and transparent. Once a submission is received, it is screened to ensure all required materials are complete. A review panel is then convened from our committee members based on the relevant expertise and availability for your project. Each protocol is reviewed independently against ethical standards, participant protections, data privacy compliance and scientific merit. Our total decision cycle is typically one month.

Process

Participants Matter

Our core principles (PIPER)

At the heart of our work is a commitment to ethical research that respects and prioritises participant safety, supports innovation and, crucially, maintains public trust. These five principles guide every decision we make as a committee, from how we assess protocols to how we communicate with sponsors and researchers.
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They reflect our values, our responsibilities, and our role in enabling responsible, participant-centred studies across diverse areas of nutraceutical and real-world research.

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01 PROTECTION
02 IMPARTIALITY
03 PROPORTIONALITY
04 EXACTNESS
05 RESPECT

Our Ethics

Open And Honest

Full transparency

The process is transparent, independent and grounded in real-world expertise. Submissions are reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel with no ties to sponsors or platforms, ensuring impartial, proportionate oversight.
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We review anything outside NHS / HRA remit - including non-CTIMP health research, wearables, real-world data, food, dietary supplements and drinks industries and much more. Our decisions are guided by participant protection, data responsibility and clearly documented governance.

Process

Want To Learn more?

We'd love to hear from you

If you have any questions or need guidance with your submission, don’t hesitate to reach out - we’re here to help and happy to support you at every step.

hello@ethiclear.com