Legal & Ethical Guidelines

GRI will conform with all existing Laws of Sri Lanka regarding the performance of scientific research. Where such Laws do not exist, we will seek guidance from regional and international Laws. GRI will act as a responsible scientific entity, and will maintain high ethical and legal standards at every stage of the research project. We will require the following from all external researchers:

 

• All projects involving human subjects or human specimens will be evaluated by a GRI institutional review board (IRB). Human subject research requires the approval of the GRI IRB as well as the IRB of the investigators' home institution.

 

• A written guarantee of the source, the collection methodology of the tested material and the end use of the data is required. For samples with restricted access such as protected or endangered species, the external researcher has to provide copies of permits or permission from relevant authorities. 

 

• GRI retains the right to verify the legal and ethical status of any tested material, in consultation with relevant authorities or experts.

 

• GRI retains the right to terminate the research project at any time if it is discovered that that the tested material was obtained illegally or unethically.

 

• GRI will not be held responsible for any observations and conclusions made from such research, or for any subsequent action taken by any person in response to such observations and conclusions (except when the research is performed in collaboration with a senior scientist at GRI). 

 

• Projects involving work with bio-hazardous agents will be reviewed and only undertaken if the specimens do not pose a significant risk to people working on the project or others.

 

• Only international shipments that are compliant with local and foreign import/export regulations will be allowed.