Research, Grants & Ethics Unit
The Research, Grants & Ethics Unit (RGEU) provides support for research development, grant administration, and ethics review at UKH. The unit serves as a central point of contact for researchers seeking guidance on funding applications, ethical approval, research procedures, and institutional research governance.
RGEU works with faculty members, postgraduate students, and external collaborators across all schools to support high-quality, ethical, and impactful research at the university.
Meet our team
Working hours: Sunday to Thursday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
For consultations, please email to arrange an appointment.
[email protected]
Academic Building – Ground Floor, Room G1
Ethics Review at UKH
UKH operates a two-level ethics review structure to ensure rigorous and field-appropriate oversight of all research involving human or animal participants.
University Ethics Committee
Provides overarching governance, consistency, and quality assurance across all schools. Ensures alignment with UKH ethics guidelines and international standards. Chaired by the RGEU Manager.
School-Level Ethics Committees
Each school maintains an independent Ethics Committee composed of members with specialist disciplinary expertise. School-level committees review applications under the supervision of the University Ethics Committee.
University Ethics Committee
UKH's Research Ethics Committee oversees the University's research ethics framework and draws on disciplinary perspectives from medicine, psychology, engineering, law, economics, and the social sciences.
Dr. Hawkar Ibrahim
Dr. Ibrahim is an academic and clinical psychologist specialising in psychotherapy and trauma-related mental health in vulnerable populations. As Chair, he leads the ethical review and governance of all research involving human participants at UKH, with a particular emphasis on informed consent, data protection, and responsible research practices in conflict-affected and low-resource settings.
Dr. Avin Maroof
Dr. Maroof is a senior specialist in rheumatology and medical rehabilitation, with experience in clinical research, medical education, and bioethics. She provides the committee with critical clinical and research oversight, ensuring that research protocols involving patients and medical data uphold participant safety, ethical integrity, methodological rigor, and patient-centred outcomes.
Dr. Jawdat Mustafa Tashan
Dr. Tashan is a structural engineer whose research spans green concrete, nanotechnology, and structural retrofitting. He contributes an engineering and applied sciences perspective to the Committee, ensuring that research involving technical experimentation is held to the highest standards of Sustainable Engineering, Infrastructure Resilience, and Environmental Stewardship, safeguarding both local ecosystems and community foundations.
Dr. Dlawar Mahdi Hadi
Dr. Hadi specialises in financial economics. His expertise in quantitative methods, secondary data analysis, and financial modelling brings a critical perspective to the Committee's review of research involving economic data, institutional records, and studies where questions of data privacy and proprietary information arise.
Dr. Yadgar Kamal Ahmmad
Dr. Ahmmad is an international legal scholar with expertise in transboundary law, human rights, and the interface between international and domestic legal frameworks. His legal background strengthens the committee's capacity to assess research involving participant rights, regulatory compliance, and cross-border legal frameworks.
Application Procedure
All research conducted under UKH that involves human or animal participants — including faculty-led projects, student dissertations at all levels, and externally funded studies — must receive ethics approval before data collection begins.
Prepare Your Application
Complete the relevant Ethics Review Application Form and attach supporting documents: informed consent forms, questionnaires or interview guides, data collection tools, and any relevant external approvals.
Submit to Your School Committee
Send your completed application and all supporting documents by email to the Chair of the Ethics Committee at your respective school (see contacts below). Faculty not affiliated with a specific school should submit directly to the University Ethics Committee.
Committee Review
Each school-level Ethics Committee reviews submissions on a regular basis. A typical review takes approximately 6–8 weeks. You will be notified of the outcome in writing.
Revisions (if required)
If revisions are needed, the Committee will provide clear, constructive feedback. Your project must not proceed until final written approval is granted.
Approval & Data Collection
Once written approval is received, you may begin data collection in accordance with the approved protocol.
Download Application Forms
Submit to Your School Ethics Committee
Faculty members not affiliated with any of the above schools should submit applications directly to the University Ethics Committee at [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. All research involving human or animal participants conducted under UKH must receive ethics approval before any data collection begins.
You should submit your application during the planning stage of your research, well before you intend to begin collecting data.
Submit your application to the Ethics Committee at your school. If you are not affiliated with any of UKH's schools, submit directly to the University Ethics Committee at [email protected].
A typical review takes approximately 6–8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the project. You will be notified of the outcome in writing.
No. Data collection must not begin until you have received written approval from the Ethics Committee.
Yes. All student research at every level that involves human or animal participants must go through the ethics review process.
You must still obtain ethics approval from UKH. Any approvals from the partner institution should be included as supporting documentation but do not replace UKH review.
You may be exempt only if all of the following conditions are met:
- The project is externally led by the partner institution.
- No data are collected within the Kurdistan Region.
- Your involvement as a UKH staff member is demonstrably minor (you are not serving as PI, Co-PI, corresponding author, or in any role with decision-making authority over study design or data collection).
- Formal ethics approval has been obtained from a recognised ethics committee at the partner institution, with documented proof available upon request.
If any condition is not met, full UKH ethics approval is required. Even when the exception applies, you remain bound by UKH's Code of Research Conduct.
The Ethics Committee cannot grant retrospective approval. Data collected without prior ethics approval is considered ethically non-compliant.
No. UKH does not charge students or staff any fees for submitting an application for ethics review.
You will receive an official ethics approval letter by email. The letter will include the ethics reference number for your approved study.
Students are required to attach the approval letter to their graduation projects, theses, or dissertations. For journal submissions, researchers should include the ethics approval reference number in the manuscript. If the journal requests evidence of approval, the approval letter can be provided as supporting documentation.
Grants & Funding
UKH encourages and supports its researchers in securing external funding. Below you will find information on how RGEU can assist you and an overview of available funding pathways.
Support
Are you looking for funding for your research project? RGEU staff can help you identify suitable funding sources and guide you through the application process.
Phone: +964 750 857 8811
Applying for and Managing Grants
RGEU provides administrative and technical support to researchers seeking external funding. The following services are available at each stage of the grant process.
Pre-submission. Assistance with proposal structure, budget preparation, methodology review, and compliance with funder requirements. All applications submitted through UKH are subject to internal review prior to submission.
Active projects. Support with financial reporting, progress documentation, and coordination with relevant UKH administrative units.
Project closure. Assistance with final reporting, financial reconciliation, and compliance documentation as required by the funding body.