AVEC (The Association of Veterinary Ethics Committees) was formed in 2022 by members of veterinary research ethics committees across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

What do veterinary research ethics committees (RECs) do?

These are groups of people who scrutinise, advise on and approve clinical veterinary research projects, usually before they’re carried out. The committees consider ethical aspects of research, and the scientific design to help ensure that the evidence produced is reliable, ethical and appropriate (NB poorly done research is unethical). These elements are essential for providing a strong evidence base for practitioners.

“Clinical veterinary research” includes any scientific studies designed to provide evidence to support practising veterinary surgeons in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of animals suffering from disease. RECs are present at research and educational establishments such as vet schools, and sometimes in charities, and large veterinary practice groups. The RCVS has its own Ethics Review Panel which is open to any MRCVS or RVN wishing to obtain ethics advice or approval when intending to carry out clinical research and who is unable to obtain such a review elsewhere e.g. does not have an affiliation to an alternative institutional ethics review process.

What are the aims of the group?
The aims of the group are to help ensure that clinical veterinary research projects are reviewed to comparable standards across all participating institutions and to promote good practice.

What is the group’s remit?
AVEC provides a discussion forum and a resource centre for clinical veterinary researchers. It covers resources for training ethics committee members, provides links to guidance documents, as well as a reference list of relevant scientific and other papers.

How often does the group meet?
The group meets roughly every 3 months via an online meeting.