General information

Researchers should consider the Criteria for Referral of Research to the DH HREC to determine whether their project should be submitted to the DH HREC for ethical review. If an application to the DH HREC is appropriate, researchers should note the following information in preparing and submitting their application.

The Department of Heatlh HREC currently only accepts applications prepared on the Common Application Form. It is intended that applications may be made using the National Ethics Application Form (NEAF) after the supplementary modules addressing legislative requirements specific to Victoria have been finalised and released for use.

Proposals are to be submitted to the Executive Officer at least two weeks before the scheduled date of the meeting. It is requested that proposals be submitted on Module 1 of the Common Application Form and relevant additional modules, with page numbering and appropriate sections stapled together. An original signed document must be sent to the Executive Officer and an electronic copy of the application and its appendices must be sent to research.ethics@dhs.vic.gov.au as a single Word document. Multiple attachments will not be accepted.

The Committee considers proposals for approval at its monthly meetings. In cases of extreme urgency, for instance a proposal addressing a current epidemic, it will consider a proposal out of session. In some instances, the Committee finds it useful to talk to the researcher/s in person and will make arrangements to do so at a monthly meeting. The result of the review process is communicated to researchers as soon as possible after the meeting at which the proposal was considered. In those instances where the Committee requests clarifications, modifications or additional information, responses to these requests are considered either out of session or at the earliest available meeting. Whether responses are considered out of session or at the earliest available meeting depends upon the deliberations at the meeting at which the proposal was considered.

The Committee does not consider draft, 'in principle' or otherwise incomplete proposals. It does, however, consider proposals in respect to studies to be completed in stages, provided the proposal in relation to the first stage is complete.

The Committee does not encourage retrospective review of projects, although there may be rare circumstances where this is necessary. If a project has commenced and retrospective ethical review is sought, researchers must not submit signed participant Consent Forms with their application.

Further information regarding current procedures and other requirements can be accessed in the Committee’s Procedures and Documentation Guidelines (2008 version 2).

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