The 1st Sub Committee Meeting of the NUMS Institutional Review Board and Ethical Committee (IRB & EC) took place on October 4, 2023 at 1000hrs in NUMS Research Facilitation Centre (NRFC), NUMS Secretariat Rawalpindi, under the chair of Maj Gen Farrukh Saeed, HI(M) (Retd). The following committee members attended the subject meeting;

The meeting was convened to review/approve the research studies/projects submitted by Department of Biological Sciences to office of IRB in NUMS ORIC.

10x presentations were given by the presenters on their research studies/projects in presence of their supervisors. These presentations covered a wide range of topics pertaining to field of Biological Sciences. Researchers discussed their respective studies’ research methodologies, objectives, and expected outcomes with the committee members. The discussions revolved around ethical considerations, research methodologies, data collection procedures, potential risks to participants (human and animal), and strategies to enhance the practical impact of the research.

The comments and recommendations were recorded and shared with researchers/supervisors, enabling them to make necessary revisions and improvements to their research proposals.

The 2^nd Meeting of NUMS IRB & Ethical Sub Committee chaired by Chairman IRB & Ethical Committee Maj Gen Farrukh Saeed, HI(M) (Retd), was held on 30 Oct 2023 at 0930 hours in VC Secretariat, NUMS, Rawalpindi. Following members attended the subject meeting;

The purpose of the meeting was to review/approve the research studies/projects submitted by Department of Biological Sciences to office of IRB in NUMS ORIC.

10x presentations were given by the presenters on their research studies/projects in presence of their supervisors. These presentations covered a wide range of topics pertaining to field of Biological Sciences. Researchers discussed their research methodologies, objectives, and expected outcomes.

After each presentation, the committee members provided comments and recommendations, especially concerning the ethical considerations, research methodology, data collection, potential risks to both human and animal participants (where applicable) and to improve the impact of research work in practical.

The comments and recommendations were recorded and shared with researchers/supervisors, enabling them to make necessary revisions and improvements to their research proposals.

The 3^rd Meeting of NUMS IRB & Ethical Sub Committee chaired by Chairman IRB & Ethical Committee Maj Gen Farrukh Saeed, HI(M) (Retd), was held on 7 Dec 2023 at 1000 hours in NUMS Research Facilitation Centre (NRFC), NUMS Secretariat, Rawalpindi. Following members attended the subject meeting;

The purpose of the meeting was to review/approve the research studies/projects submitted by Department of Biological Sciences to office of IRB in NUMS ORIC.

18x presentations were given by the presenters on their research studies/projects in presence of their supervisors. These presentations encompassed diverse topics and detailed the methodologies, objectives, and anticipated outcomes of the research projects pertaining to field of Biological Sciences.

After each presentation, the committee members provided comments and recommendations, especially concerning the ethical considerations, research methodology, data collection, potential risks to both human and animal participants (where applicable) and to improve the impact of research work in practical.

The comments and recommendations were recorded and shared with researchers/supervisors, enabling them to make necessary revisions and improvements to their research proposals

The 4th Meeting of NUMS IRB & Ethical Sub Committee chaired by Maj Gen Farrukh Saeed, HI(M) (Retd) (Pro VC Academics/Chairman IRB & Ethical Committee), was held on 25 June 2024 at 1300 hours at NRFC, NUMS Sectt, Rawalpindi. Following members attended the subject meeting;

The purpose of the meeting was to review/approve 6x research studies/projects submitted by NUMS Department of Psychology to the office of IRB & EC in NUMS ORIC.

Each research project/study was presented by its respective researcher in the presence of their supervisors, allowing for an in-depth discussion on various aspects of their studies. The presentations covered a wide range of topics pertaining to field of Psychology. Detailed discussions were made on research questions, objectives, hypothesis, methodologies, risk factors, participants involved in the study and their impact on the expected outcomes for welfare of the society.

After each presentation, the committee members provided comments and recommendations, particularly focusing on research projects/studies’ research methodology, data collection techniques, and the potential psychological risks to participants. The feedback included suggestions for refining research questions, improving research objectives, and enhancing data analysis methods. These comments and recommendations were recorded and have been shared with the researchers and their supervisors, enabling them to make necessary revisions and improvements to their research projects/studies.

The meeting concluded with the committee expressing satisfaction with the overall quality and progress of the research studies.

The 5th Meeting of NUMS IRB & Ethical Sub Committee chaired by Dr Shahid Waseem, Director ORIC, was held on 2 August 2024 at 1100 hours at Seminar Hall, NUMS PWD Campus, Islamabad. The following members attended the subject meeting:

The purpose of the meeting was to review 11 x research studies/projects submitted by the BS Program of the NUMS Department of Psychology to the office of IRB & Ethical Committee in NUMS ORIC. The respective students presented each of the 11 research projects/studies in the presence of their supervisors. During the meeting, we thoroughly discussed the research questions, objectives, hypotheses, methodologies, risk factors, and potential impact on participants and society. The recorded comments and recommendations were shared with the researchers and their supervisors.

Dr. Shahid Waseem, Director ORIC, chaired the 6th Meeting of NUMS IRB & Ethical Sub Committee on 13 August 2024 at 1130 hours in the Discussion Room (Room 1.9) at Tik Tower, NUMS PWD Campus, Islamabad. The following members attended the subject meeting:

The meeting's primary agenda focused on reviewing 11 research projects/studies submitted by students from the BS Psychology program, with a particular emphasis on their ethical and methodological aspects.

The committee evaluated each project/study thoroughly, ensuring adherence to strict ethical guidelines for all research proposals. They commended several projects for their innovative approach and contributions to the field. The reviewers gave specific feedback to improve the data collection methods, refine the research objectives, and clarify the ethical protocols.

The meeting ended with the committee recommending necessary changes to ensure the projects/studies comply with ethical and methodological standards before moving forward with further research activities.

The committee recorded and shared all comments and recommendations with the researchers and supervisors.