Peer Review Committee

The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2007 strongly supports the role of peer-review in the process of assessing prospective research projects involving human participants. As a contributor to the national and international innovation systems, UWS endorses the role of peer review in defining research and ensuring research merit and integrity.

What is a Peer Review Committee at UWS?

Peer Review Committees ensure that the University meets its obligations to ensure the quality of research involving human participants as required under the National Statement for the Ethical Conduct of Human Research 2007.

If these obligations are not met the University is not allowed to receive public funding for research involving human participants.

What does the Peer Review Committee do?

A Peer Review Committee undertakes a research merit and integrity review of all unfunded research projects involving human participants arising from Staff, and from Coursework Students, including undergraduate Honours.

The National Statement says that if a project does not have research merit and integrity it cannot be considered ethical research.

The NSW Department of Education and Communities requires that all research occurring in NSW public schools has had the quality of the research projects assessed and approved through an institutional research quality review process.

How does the Peer Review Committee process assist research publications?

The international publication climate is extremely competitive and an increasing number of journals across varied disciplines, including engineering, science, medicine and psychology, require researchers to assent that the research submitted for publication has undergone and received approval from a research quality committee and, where appropriate, a human research ethics committee.

Why does the Peer Review Committee make a Risk assessment of the research?

Research is ethically acceptable only when its potential benefits justify any risks involved in the research. 

The National Statement requires that all research involving humans is assessed for risk to participants and to others.

How is does the Peer Review Committee differ from the UWS Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC)?

HREC is registered with the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to undertake ethical review of research involving human participants. UWS HREC does not carry out scientific review – it carries out ethical review. The disciplinary composition of the Peer Review Committees means that they are well placed to carry out review of method and scope and other aspects of research merit. 

There are two Peer Review Committees:

  • Health and Science (covering health, biomedical, public health and psychology)
  • Humanities and Social Science (covering education, studies in human society, language, communication and cultural research and business)

The Chair of the Health and Science is Assoc. Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Debbie Sweeney. The Chair of the Humanities and Social Science is Assoc. Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Deborah Stevenson.

Contact details:

Does my NEAF require review by a Peer Review Committee? 

Peer Review Committees examine the research merit and integrity of: 
  • all unfunded* research projects involving human participants, excluding higher degree research candidate projects. 
  • all Undergraduate Honours research projects involving human participants. 
  • all Postgraduate Coursework projects involving human participants.

*Funded projects are defined as follows: 

  • Research funds are in a project account established by the Office of Research Services 
  • Category 5 (but unfunded) NHMRC outcomes.  A Category 5 outcome is defined as fundable but insufficient funding available. 
Research candidate projects do not undergo review by a PRC.  Research candidates are excepted because they go through a quality review process as part of their Early Candidature Plan and Confirmation of Candidature.

PRCs also consider the risk implications of proposed human research studies and make an initial recommendation regarding level of risk.

PRCs bring together experienced and research active UWS staff from across the broad disciplines to examine the research merit and integrity of a range of unfunded staff and student projects involving human participants. Each PRC is chaired by an Associate Pro Vice- Chancellor (Research).

How to Progress your Ethics application via Peer Review Committee

UWS uses the National Ethics Application Form (NEAF) developed by the ARC, NHMRC and AVCC available at the NEAF website (opens in a new window). For further information on NEAF see How to apply.

Please note: for all research ethics and integrity committees at UWS (Peer Review Committee, HREC, ACEC and BRSC), the applicant is the UWS staff member. Student supervisors are responsible for the quality of the application and its content.

If you are a staff member and your research is unfunded you should forward your ethics application to the relevant PRC as follows:

  • 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 finalised review of the research merit and integrity of the application.

If you are a student (Postgraduate Coursework or 4th year Honours), the application should be forwarded to the relevant PRC as follows (please note that your supervisor is considered to be the applicant and must have read, and agreed to submission of the NEAF):

  • Save the NEAF application as a PDF document using your supervisor's surname to identify the document.
  • Submit the application by sending a soft/electronic copy of NEAF and all core attachments to the relevant Peer Review Committee.

There may be a number of core attachments in addition to the application form (NEAF) that will be needed to complete your human ethics application. Please ensure that these are provided with the NEAF.

For more information please see Applying for Human Ethics.

Peer Review Committees and Contacts

Health and Sciences Peer Review Committee
 Contact Details

Considering applications of researchers of the:

School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics, including

  • Solar Energy Technologies Research Group
School of Medicine, including
  • Molecular Medicine Research Group
  • Disaster Response and Resilience Research Group
  • Health Services and Outcomes Research Group
School of Nursing and Midwifery, including
  • Family and Community Health Research Group
Psychology disciplines of the School of Social Sciences and Psychology and the MARCS Institute 

School of Science and Health, including

  • Centre for Complementary Medicine
  • Nanoscale Research Group
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment

Institute in Infrastructure Engineering

Send electronic copy of NEAF to Christine Sharpe and the signed original of NEAF to:


Christine Sharpe,
Secretariat
Building AB

Werrington North campus 

Humanities and Social Sciences Peer Review Committee
 Contact Details

Considering applications of researchers of the:

School of Business, including

  • Innovation and Industry Studies Research Group
  • Sustainability and Social Research Group
School of Education, including
  • Centre for Educational Research
School of Humanities and Communication Arts, including 
  • Writing and Society Research Centre 
  • Justice Research Group 
School of Law

Social Science disciplines of the School of Social Sciences and Psychology, including

  • Centre for Research in Contemporary Muslim Studies 
  • Urban Research Centre 
Institute for Culture and Society

Divisional Units of UWS, including
  • Badanami Centre for Indigenous Education
  • Learning and Teaching Unit

Send electronic copy of NEAF to Tina Nay and the signed original of NEAF to:

Tina Nay,
Secretariat
Building AB
Werrington North campus

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