Dr. Kayondo Jane Frances Kengeya
Chairperson. Founder of Rounding Up the Edges International and member of the MRCU Board.
MUREC
Mildmay Uganda Research Ethics Committee
MUREC reviews research protocols involving human participants and their data, monitors studies and supports ethical, compliant research implementation.
Ethics review
Protecting rights, safety and dignity
MUREC was established in 2014 as a nationally accredited mechanism for reviewing research proposals involving human participants and their data. It assesses scientific and ethical validity, monitors studies before and after activation, and supports compliance with national and international ethical guidelines.
The committee also supports administrative clearance, community advisory board engagement and internal monitoring of research studies.
Scientific Advisory Committee
Scientific review before ethics review
Ethics review answers whether a study is acceptable. Scientific review answers whether it is worth doing and capable of answering its own question. At Mildmay Research Centre Uganda (MRCU) the two are separate steps, and both sit outside the management line. The Scientific Advisory Committee is chaired by Dr. Kayondo Jane Frances Kengeya and brings together senior scientists from within and beyond the institution.
Dr. Maxwell Onapa
Member, Scientific Advisory Committee.
Dr. Christine Nalwadda Kayemba
Member. Senior Lecturer and Head of Department, Community Health & Behavioural Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences School of Public Health.
What the committee assesses
Scientific merit and originality, appropriateness of design, statistical power and analysis plan, feasibility against site capacity, and whether the study can realistically recruit and complete.
Why it comes first
A scientifically weak protocol cannot be made ethical by good consent procedures. Reviewing merit first spares investigators from ethics revisions on a design that needs rethinking, and spares participants from studies that cannot deliver.
What investigators get
Written scientific feedback before ethics submission, methodological and statistical input from senior investigators, and a clearer route through MUREC once the design is settled.
How to submit
Protocol submission pathway
1
Register on NRIMS
Create an account at nrims.uncst.go.ug, activate it from your email and log in.
2
Submit new protocol
Choose the human participants option where applicable and select Mildmay Uganda REC.
3
Upload documents
Prepare all required PDFs, including protocol, consent forms, instruments, CVs, certificates and payment slip.
4
Review and feedback
Regular submissions should be made at least 10 working days before the last Friday of the month. Fast-track reviews receive feedback within seven working days.
Document Checklist
Required submission files
Templates for informed consent forms, community engagement plans and COVID-19 risk management plans are available through the MUREC Administrator.
- Cover letter addressed to the Chairperson of MUREC requesting protocol review
- Passport photo of the applicant with a white background
- Ethical approval from the parent institution where applicable
- Commitment and support letters from collaborating sites where applicable
- CVs of the principal investigator, co-investigators and other investigators, not exceeding four pages
- Evidence that researchers are qualified for the study, including valid professional practising licences where applicable
- Valid Human Subjects Protection certificate and or Good Clinical Practice certificate
- Consent and assent forms following UNCST format, with translations where applicable
- Full protocol with information dissemination plan
- Final data collection instruments, with translations where applicable
- Work plan and budget
- Payment slip and brief community engagement plan
Monitoring Services
Study oversight beyond protocol review
On-site monitoring
Physical monitoring visits to review documentation, data collection procedures, participant safety and protocol compliance.
Remote monitoring
Secure remote review of study data and documentation to maintain compliance while reducing disruption.
Risk-based monitoring
Prioritisation of resources where risk is highest, improving efficiency without compromising data quality.
Fees and Payment
MUREC payment information from the current website
Review fees are standardised across Research Ethics Committees in Uganda. The fee schedule and bank account details are provided below for applicants.
Keeping the committee current
Continuing training for committee members
Accreditation is not a one-off exercise. Committee members and MRCU researchers take part in regular training on national research regulation and committee practice.
On 6 July 2026 the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology held a training at MRCU for MUREC members and researchers, covering the national regulatory framework, the responsibilities of an accredited research ethics committee and the standards expected of investigators submitting protocols.
UNCST training, July 2026Committee members and researchers together, so that reviewers and applicants work to the same standard.
MUREC SecretariatMs. Racheal Dedibo, +256 701 472492 or +256 392 174236International House, MRCU Building, Entebbe Road, Lweza-Nazziba Hill, Wakiso, Uganda