RIMS

Ethics Clearance Application

Manual

2020

Initial Applications
Contents

Creating a new application .................................................................................................... 1

Filling out the application....................................................................................................... 3
Adding the supervisor ........................................................................................................... 5
Submitting the application ..................................................................................................... 7
Continuing with a previously created application ................................................................... 8
Important things to remember after submission..................................................................... 9
Ethics Office contact details ................................................................................................ 10

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Creating a new application

Once you have logged into your RIMS profile, select the Ethics Module that applies to your
research:

Note - You may use the “General/Human Research Ethics” module for both health and non-
health related research.

Select “Create New Protocol”:

Then complete the following steps: (continued on next page)

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1 – Click Continue on the “Create” screen:

2 – Enter the title and click Continue on the “Protocol Creation” screen:

3 – Check the PI name and department and click Continue on the “Select PI” screen:

Note – Please make sure that your department is displaying correctly. The department must
reflect the one in which you are doing your research. If your department displays as
“Research Development” this is incorrect. Please contact the RIMS office at DRD if your
department is not correct and do not click on “Continue”, but click on “Close”.
Note – If you wish to apply on behalf of a different PI, you can remove your name here and
insert theirs. You must then contact the RIMS office at DRD so that we can make you a
delegate for the PI.

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Filling out the application

After clicking on “Continue” on the “Select PI” screen, the application form will automatically
open in a new window:

(Continued on the next page)

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Hidden sections of the application form will appear as you start to answer questions:

Note – Make sure to answer all mandatory questions (ones marked with a red asterisk).

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Adding the supervisor

If you have a supervisor, you must add them to your application form so that the application
routes to them automatically once you submit the application form.

Once you have indicated on the application form that you have a supervisor, you will see a
section below where both the PI and supervisor must be listed.

The PI’s name will already display automatically with the Role of PI selected next to it:

Above the PI name, there will be a yellow “+” or a blue “Add” button.

Click on the + or Add button to open the “Personnel Listing” window:

Note – You must begin by typing in your supervisor’s surname. To narrow the selection,
type in a comma and space after the surname and then start typing their full first names.

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When you have located your supervisor on the list, make sure that you click on their name
so that it displays in the text area in the following manner:

When you are sure that you have clicked on the correct name, click on the “Select” button.

You will then see the supervisor’s name listed below the PI:

Note - You must select the Supervisor Role next to their name for the application to be sent
to them when you submit.

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Submitting the application

Once you have filled out all mandatory questions in the application form and added your
supervisor (if applicable), you must click on the “Submit” button, which is located at the top of
the form:

If you click on Submit before you have filled out all the mandatory questions you will see the
following popup:

Click on “OK” to see a list of all the questions that you have not filled out. Click on any of the
questions on this list to make the application form scroll directly to where the question is
located on the form:

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Continuing with a previously created application

Should you exit your application form for any reason before submitting it, you will be able to
go back into it and continue with the application from where you left off.
To go back into your application form, make sure that you are on your RIMS home page and
click on the “Locate My Records” option at the top of the screen:

A list for records belonging to you will then appear. Click on the record number of your
application and then on “Edit” -> “Initial Application”. The application form will then open,
and you can continue to fill it out and submit it.

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Important things to remember after submission

 If you have completed your application form by ticking the “Complete” tick box in the
top right hand of the form, it does not mean that you have submitted the application.

 You must have clicked on the Submit button at the top of the form for it to have been
submitted.

 Make sure that you receive an email confirming your submission. If not, then please
contact the RIMS office at DRD.

 Follow up with your supervisor to make sure that they have received your application
on RIMS, even if you have received the confirmation of submission email.

 If you do not have a supervisor, then you may follow up with the applicable Ethics
Office to make sure that they have received your application:

 For Health Sciences applications contact the FHS Ethics office.

 For non-Health Sciences applications contact the RIMS office at DRD.

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Ethics Office contact details

RIMS Office at DRD

Email – RIMS@ufs.ac.za
Mpho Mashamba: +27 (0) 51 401 9398 / MashambaML@ufs.ac.za
Willem Kilian: +27 (0) 51 401 3682 / KilianW@ufs.ac.za
Maricél Van Rooyen: +27 (0) 51 401 9451 / VanRooyenM2@ufs.ac.za

Faculty of Health Sciences Ethics Office

Email – EthicsFHS@ufs.ac.za
Tel: +27 (0) 51 401 7794 / 7795

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