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Apply to Human Research Ethics Committee

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The University of Western Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) considers ethics applications for funded research, low risk and high risk unfunded research projects involving human participants.  There is capacity within the HREC for an expedited review to be undertaken by the HREC Executive.  The HREC Executive is only able to consider research that has a negligible risk.  On occasion, the Executive may also consider urgent applications for human ethics approval. The information provided on this web page is intended to assist in the process of application for ethics approval from the HREC. 

What you will find on this web page:-

Committee members on the 2008 UWS HREC are:-

HREC Chair: Dr Janette Perz (Acting)  
HREC Deputy Chair: Dr Susanne Gannon (Acting) and Ian Wlson
HREC Executive Officer: Ms Kay Buckley

Application Procedure

UWS uses the National Ethics Application Form (NEAF) developed by the ARC, NHMRC and AVCC (now Universities Australia) which is available at the NEAF website. 

NEAF is a dynamic, interactive web-based software application tool on a secure server. Once you have established a user account, you will be able to generate multiple proposals, invite other readers or writers to interact with your application, distribute the application to multiple HRECs and save the proposal in a number of formats. There is a business hours helpdesk and email assistance for all NEAF users. 

For further instructions on completing a NEAF, please see NEAF General Advice (Word, 65Kb), NEAF Advice for Honours Coordinators and Supervisors (Word, 97Kb), or NEAF Advice for Higher Degree Research Program Coordinators and Supervisors (Word, 80Kb), together with NEAF Advice on Data and Intellectual Property Ownership (Word, 34Kb).

As always, answers to each question are best expressed in plain English.

All applicants' signatures are required on the original copy of the NEAF that is sent by mail or delivered by hand, to the HREC Ethics Officer. UWS only requires signatures of all chief investigators.  The NEAF signature page includes space for a number of school/department signatures.  It is suggested that applicants retain a physical copy of the signed NEAF, just in case the original becomes lost in the mail.

NEAF requires that student and higher degree research candidate applications are submitted by the student or candidate's supervisor.  Please Note…The HREC is unable to review incomplete applications.  Please ensure that all questions have been responded to and all support documents are included.

Lodging your application

There are different pathways for lodgement of your ethics application depending on whether you are a student or academic and whether your research is funded or not.  Funded staff projects and higher degree research candidate projects are submitted directly to the Human Ethics Officer. Unfunded staff projects, postgraduate course work and Honours student projects are submitted in the first instance to the relevant Peer Review Committee for review of research merit and integrity.  The Peer Review Committee will forward approve applications on your behalf to the Human Ethics Officer for ethical review.

Read through the following to determine where to send your ethics application.

1. Staff
Your research is funded (internal or external).

  • Save the NEAF application as a pdf document using the chief investigator's surname to identify the document.
  • Send soft copy of NEAF and all core attachments to Human Ethics Email.
  • Forward original signed by all chief investigators either by mail or by hand-delivery to the Human Ethics Officer.

Your research is unfunded (including research related to teaching activities that may be published in the future).

  • Save the NEAF application as a pdf document using the chief investigator's surname to identify the document.
  • Send soft copy of NEAF and all core attachments to the relevant Peer Review Committee. The PRC will forward the NEAF to the Ethics Officer after they have reviewed the application for research merit and integrity.

2. Students
If you are a higher degree candidate (PhD, Master Honours, Professional Doctorate).

  • Save the NEAF application as a pdf document using your Supervisor's surname to identify the document.
  • Send soft copy of NEAF and all core attachments to Human Ethics Email.
  • Forward original signed by all chief investigators, including candidate, either by mail or by hand-delivery, to the Human Ethics Officer. Supervisor must submit the application.

If you are a postgraduate coursework or 4th year Honours student.

  • Save the NEAF application as a pdf document using the Supervisor's surname to identify the document.
  • Send soft copy of NEAF and all core attachments to the relevant Peer Review Committee. Your supervisor must submit the application.

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The Progress of Your Application

The Human Ethics Flowchart (PDF, 24Kb) sets out the assessment process for Human Ethics Applications.  There are no closing dates, allowing applicants to submit applications at any time throughout the year.  Applications are processed upon receipt by the Office of Research Services. 

The nature of the project and an assessment of the risk of harm to participants will determine if the application undergoes expedited review or will be considered by the Human Research Ethics Committee.

  • Negligible Risk - Where a project involves negligible risk, it will be considered by the Executive Committee of the Human Research Ethics Committee.  The estimated time for the Executive Committee's decision to be communicated to the applicant is within two weeks of the committee meeting if there are no amendments or issues to be resolved.
  • Low and High Risk - Where projects involve low or high risk, they will be considered by the full Human Research Ethics Committee.  The full HREC meets on the third Monday of the month from February until November each year.  While there are no closing dates for the submission of applications, there are internal closing dates to finalise agenda papers for committee meetings. This closing date is three weeks before the promulgated meeting date.  The estimated time for the full HREC decision to be communicated to the applicant is dependant upon the time of submission.  If an application is received before the Office of Research Services (ORS) internal closing date and there are no amendments or issues to be resolved, a researcher can expect to hear the outcome of their ethics application within one week of the HREC monthly meeting.

Applications tabled to either the full HREC or the HREC Executive cannot be accepted – they must be submitted through the Human Ethics Officer for registration on the ethics application register and inclusion on the next HREC or Executive meeting’s agenda.

Meeting dates of Human Research Ethics Committee 2008
 
18th February    (ORS internal closing date 25 January 2008)
17th March    (ORS internal closing date 10 February 2008)
21st April    (ORS internal closing date 31 March 2008)
19th May    (ORS internal closing date 28 April 2008)
16th June    (ORS internal closing date 26 May 2008)
21 July     (ORS internal closing date 30 June 2008)
18th August    (ORS internal closing date 28 July 2008)
15th September    (ORS internal closing date 25 August 2008)
20th October    (ORS internal closing date 29 September 2008)
17th November    (ORS internal closing date 03 November 2008)

Meeting dates of Human Research Ethics Committee 2009
 
15th February    (ORS internal closing date 25 January 2009)
16th March    (ORS internal closing date 23 February 2009)
20th April    (ORS internal closing date 30 March 2009)
18th May    (ORS internal closing date 27 April 2009)
15th June    (ORS internal closing date 27 May 2009)
20th July    (ORS internal closing date 29 June 2009)
17th August    (ORS internal closing date 27 July 2009)
14th September    (ORS internal closing date 24 August 2009)
19th October    (ORS internal closing date 28 September 2009)
16th November    (ORS internal closing date 26 October 2009)

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Core Attachments

There may be a number of core attachments in addition to the NEAF application form that will be needed to complete your human ethics application.  These core attachments may include an information statement and consent form, a questionnaire, and/or interview schedule.

The following guidelines will be of assistance in developing these core attachments:

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Checklist for Application

Have you included?

  • NSW Privacy Legislation compliance - all applicants
  • Consent Forms, Dialogue Sheets - if applicable 
  • Information Sheet/s - if applicable 
  • Questionnaire/Survey Instrument/s, Interview questions - if applicable 
  • Cover sheet to submit another institutions’ HREC approval - if applicable 
  • Confirmation of candidature cover sheet, if higher degree candidate project - all HDR  candidates

For applications to be submitted directly to the Ethics Officer have you?

  • Emailed – a copy of the NEAF Form and the required attachments to the Ethics Officer in the Office of Research Services; and
  • Mailed the original signed paper copy of the NEAF with all the required attachments to the Ethics Officer in the Office of Research Services?

For applications to be submitted to the College have you?

  • Emailed – a copy of the NEAF and required attachments to the relevant peer Review Committee; and
  • Mailed – the original signed paper copy of the NEAF with all the required to the relevant Peer Review Committee, Executive Officer? 

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