All research licences are handled by the St Helena Research Council, regardless of field of study, and in accordance with the St Helena Research Policy.

The research licencing system provides a framework for the authorisation and oversight of research on St Helena. This is important to protect St Helena’s vital interests, including the protection of the island’s people, environment and heritage and ensure positive development for St Helena through knowledge transfer, equitable benefit sharing and long term capacity building. The Research Licence application process is administered by the St Helena Research Institute on behalf of the St Helena Research Council. How our licencing system works is described in the flow chart below. 

We recommend that you contact the Research Institute early in project planning, particularly if planning to work on St Helena for the first time, to discuss your proposed research and also if you are uncertain about whether your project falls under the licencing system. We offer guidance on planning, pointing you to key local authorities and opportunities for outreach. Should your project activity not require a licence we may ask you to register your research, if as part of your ‘business as usual’ you are planning to collect samples that require and export licence authorised by the St Helena Research Council or because your project activity or service development would benefit St Helena society and future research purposes. Direct enquiries to sarah.iguna@sainthelena.edu.sh 

St Helena Research Policy

Research Licencing Process Flow Chart

If you are planning to conduct medical, health or social care research please complete and submit this application form. 

If you would like to make an amendment to an existing medical, health or social care research licence please complete and submit this form. 

If you are planning to conduct research in any other field, please complete this form.

If you would like to make an amendment to an existing licence in another field please complete and submit this form.

Additionally, we ask you to submit a signed protocol for researchers. 

There is a £250 fee for issuing an approved research licence.  The Research Council will consider requests for a waiver of the research licence fee under special circumstances. Please note that if your proposed research requires a licence under the Environmental Protection Ordinance, 2016, because you are working with protected species there is an additional fee of £100. Click here for information on charges.

The Research Council meet to review and determine applications quarterly, on the first Thursday of the months of February, May, August and November. The deadline for submission of applications in advance of the Research Council meeting is six weeks. Applicants can expect a response within two weeks of the meeting at which the application was considered.

All applications, together with any supplementary documents, will need to be submitted to sarah.iguna@sainthelena.edu.s