1) Research governance and oversight

All research at NNF is conducted under defined scientific and ethical oversight. Projects are reviewed for scientific merit, feasibility, participant safety, and regulatory compliance before initiation. Wherever required, NNF constitutes or engages appropriate committees for oversight, including ethics, biosafety, and animal research (as applicable), aligned with Indian regulatory requirements and good clinical practices.

2) Ethics approval for human research

All studies involving human participants, human biological samples, or identifiable patient data receives approval from the relevant ethics committee prior to enrolment or data/sample access begins. NNF’s ethics review framework supports participant rights, safety, confidentiality, and informed consent. NNF-associated studies also follow established international ethical principles such as the Declaration of Helsinki, including documented informed consent processes wherever applicable.

3) Clinical trials and prospective registration

All interventional clinical research at NNF follows applicable Indian regulations and good clinical practice standards. Trials are prospectively registered in appropriate registries (for example, CTRI ). NNF acquires and documents ethics approval prior to initiation from concerned authorities. Public CTRI records list “Narayana Nethralaya Ethics Committee” as an approving committee for registered studies.

4) Biosafety, biological materials, and laboratory compliance

Research involving potentially biohazardous materials, infectious agents, recombinant DNA, or genetically modified materials follows institutional biosafety procedures, applicable national guidelines, and best lab safety practices. All personnel are trained in safe handling, storage, transport, and disposal of biological materials, with documented SOP adherence. (NNF has obtained an Institutional Biosafety Committee and registrations as part of its research governance.)

5) Animal research

Any research involving animals is reviewed and approved by the appropriate animal ethics committee, and follows the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) as per applicable Indian regulations. Animal work is justified scientifically, designed to minimise pain and distress, and conducted by trained personnel. NNF collaborates with approved facilities to conduct animal experiments.

6) Data governance, privacy, and confidentiality

NNF is committed to protecting patient privacy and confidentiality. Research data is collected, stored, accessed, and shared only for approved purposes, using role-based access controls, secure systems, and de-identification wherever feasible. Any data sharing with collaborators is governed by written agreements, and only the minimum necessary data is shared through Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs).

7) Human samples, biobanking, and future use

NNF ensures ethical consent, traceability, appropriate storage, and controlled access wherever research uses human samples (including tissues, fluids, and related derivatives). Any future use beyond the original approved scope requires ethics review and, where needed, re-consent or appropriate approvals as per applicable norms.

8) Publication ethics, authorship, and transparency

NNF supports responsible publication practices and expects research outputs to be accurate, reproducible, and transparently reported. Authorship should reflect meaningful intellectual contributions, and conflicts of interest are disclosed. Negative or neutral findings are reported wherever scientifically important. Any suspected fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or unethical publication practice is addressed through a defined inquiry process.

9) Intellectual property and collaborations

NNF encourages translation of research into impactful diagnostics, devices, and therapies. Intellectual property created through NNF research are disclosed through an internal process and managed via formal agreements with collaborators, sponsors, or industry partners through confidentiality agreements. Collaborative research is governed by written MOUs or contracts defining roles, data ownership, publication rights, confidentiality, and IP terms.

10) Conflicts of interest

All investigators and staff disclose financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence study design, conduct, analysis, or reporting. In the event of conflicts, NNF implements mitigation steps such as independent oversight, role separation, or disclosure in publications and presentations.

11) Policy review and updates

This policy is reviewed periodically to remain aligned with evolving regulations, best practices, and institutional needs.