Singapore legislation
Regulation 19
Regulation 19
Conflicts of interest
Subregulation 1
For the purposes of section 19(1) of the Act, a member of an institutional review board must declare to the board in writing, the nature and extent of all conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest in relation to a matter under consideration by the board arising from —
the member’s immediate family relationship or other relationship with a director, partner or employee of the research institution which appointed the institutional review board;
the member’s immediate family relationship or other relationship with any of the researchers involved in the conduct of the research proposal being reviewed by the board; and
the member’s connection or association with any person or body funding the research being reviewed by the board.
Subregulation 2
Where the institutional review board is satisfied that the member (called in this regulation a conflicted member) is unable to carry out his or her duties properly and effectively because of any conflict of interests or potential conflict of interests mentioned in section 19 of the Act or this regulation in relation to a matter under consideration by the board, the conflicted member —
must not vote or take part in any discussion or decision of the board with respect to that matter; and
is to be disregarded for the purpose of forming a quorum of the board for that part of the meeting of the board during which a discussion or decision relating to that matter occurs or is made.
Subregulation 3
Despite paragraph (2), a conflicted member may, with the permission of the institutional review board, provide any information that the board requires, but must not vote on any decision with respect to that matter.
Subregulation 4
A declaration under paragraph (1), and the decision of the institutional review board in regard to the participation of the conflicted member in the discussions and decisions of the board under paragraphs (2) and (3), must be recorded in the minutes of the meeting of the board.
Subregulation 5
For the purposes of paragraph (1), a member of an institutional review board is not regarded as being in a position of conflict of interests by reason only that the member is an employee of the research institution which appointed the board.