According to article 21, law 4521/2018, a Research Ethics Committee (R.E.C.) is to be founded in all Higher Education Institutions. 
Its mission is to inform and sensitize all members of the university community with respect to bioethics and ethics issues and, also to contribute to the attunement of the research practices followed in out university with the updated legislation, guidelines and rules set out by the European Union as well as with the international laws and regulations concerning bioethics and ethically sound undertaking of scientific research. 
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Membership of Research Ethics Committee

Full Members

Maroulakou Ioanna, President, Professor at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, D.U.Th
Manolas Evaggelos, Vice-President, Professor at the Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and of Natural Resources, D.U.Th.,
Kaldis Panagiotis, Professor, University of West Attica
Kokkinos Konstantinos, Professor, Department of Primary Education, D.U.Th.
Bebetsos Konstantinos, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Education and Sports, D.U.Th.
Pavlidis Pavlos, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, D.U.Th.
Tzortzatou, Olga, Lawyer, Institute of Biomedical Research, Academy of Athens

Deputy Members

Alexopoulos Athanasios, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Development, D.U.Th.
Kambas Antonios, Professor, Department of Physical Education and Sports, D.U.Th
Michailidis Anastasios, Professor, Department of Agriculture, A.U.Th.
Bezirtzoglou Evgenia, Professor, Department of Medicine, A.U.Th
Polichronopoulos Dimitrios, Professor, Department of Architectural Engineering, D.U.Th.
Tilkeridis Konstantinos, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, D.U.Th
Tsoulfas Georgios, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, A.U.Th.

The term of office of the Committee lasts for three (3) years and can be renewed for at least one more time.

The Role of the Committee

Following the related legislation (law 4521/2018) and more specifically the provision made in article 23, according to which the responsibilities of Research Ethics Committees are defined, the responsibility of the Research Ethics Committee at D.U.Th. is to verify whether a specific research project that is to be conducted does not contradict the existing legislation and whether it is compatible with generally accepted rules of research ethics in terms of content and way of conduct.
The Committee assesses the research proposal and a) it approves it, or b) makes recommendations and suggestions for its review, unless ethics issues arise. In order to deliver its opinion with respect
 to the application forms, all following necessary documents must also be submitted:

• a complete research protocol with fully-developed research methodology and objectives of the project under examination
• a signed application form by the Scientific Director
• a signed application form by the Scientific Director with respect to non-conflict of interests
• an inform consent form signed by the participants/subjects, in cases when the study includes people as research subjects
• an approval permission for the undertaking of experiments on animals that is approved by the veterinary authority, according to the procedure described in P.D. 56/2013 (A 106), in cases where the study includes the use of animals in laboratory conditions and
• an approval permission for research from the corresponding partner organization (e.g. decision issued by scientific committees of Hospitals, Research Ethics Committees of other scientific and university agencies, decisions issues by the National Organization of Drugs for clinical studies, etc.)

The Research Ethics Committee is responsible to control the ethical and legal undertaking of research protocols that are designed and carried out by the Scientific Director of D.U.Th. The term ‘Scientific Director’ always refers to the head researcher/ member of the academic staff at D.U.Th.  who is in an employment relationship with the University.
Whenever it is appropriate, the Committee can ask for further information or clarifications from the Scientific Director of the research project and monitor the progress of the research that it has approved.
Funded research programs that, according to the Scientific Director, include research on human beings, on material that comes from humans, such as genetic material, cells, tissues and personal data (genetic data, medical records, etc.), on animals or the environment, natural and cultural, are required to be submitted for approval to the Committee.
With respect to the protection of personal data of the subjects who participate in the studies under examination by the Committee, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is in force. The data of the Data Protection Office at D.U.Th. or of a particular study are required to be made disclosed to the subjects of the study by the Scientific Director via the Informed Consent Form.
Besides all the above research projects, the Research Ethics Committee can examine other research projects, upon request or complaint made by any interested party, and express its opinion on ethics issues concerning an article pending for publication in a scientific journal or on an dissertation or PhD thesis currently in progress.  

All decisions made by the Research Ethics Committee are binding for D.U.Th.