New Projects
All ANU researchers (staff or students) who intend on conducting research involving the collection of data (with or about them) or tissue from human participants need to apply for ANU Human Research Ethics approval prior to starting their research.
As per the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2023, human research is understood broadly to include the involvement of human beings through:
- taking part in surveys, interviews or focus groups;
- undergoing psychological, physiological or medical testing or treatment;
- being observed by researchers;
- researchers having access to their personal documents or other materials;
- the collection and use of their body organs, tissues or fluids (e.g. skin, blood, urine, saliva, hair, bones, tumour and other biopsy specimens) or their exhaled breath;
- access to their information (in individually identifiable, re-identifiable or non identifiable form) as part of an existing published or unpublished source, database or on social media.
Further to the above, any research study that involves “more than negligible risk" to a human participant, and therefore requires ethical review, may include (but is not exhaustive):
- studies where the outcomes of investigations/exploration of research aims and questions will be presented or published for research purposes;
- studies involving the collection or analysis of data that could be used to identify participants (including email addresses or other contact details);
- physical contact with participants;
- any risk of discomfort or inconvenience to participants; including risk of psychological distress, social harm, economic harm, legal harm and devaluation of personal worth
Applying for ANU Human Research Ethics Approval
ANU researchers must apply for ANU Human Research Ethics Approval via the Research Ethics Management System (REMS). ANU has adopted the use of the Human Research Ethics Application (HREA). The National Health and Medical Council (NHMRC) developed the HREA form as a concise application to facilitate timely and efficient ethics reviews for research involving human participants. The HREA assists researchers to consider the ethical principles of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2023) in relation to their research.
Additional information on can be found on the Human Ethics SharePoint Page
Before you Begin
1. Visit the Human Ethics Sharepoint site to access training resources and information
The Human Research Ethics SharePoint site contains comprehensive videos and guides to support the preparation of human research ethics applications. These resources have been specifically developed to support your learning, in your own time, on topics that are relevant to your research role.
If, after watching the training videos and reading the training guides you still have questions, please email your questions to the Human Ethics Office.
2. Read the National Statement
If you are unsure whether your proposed research will need ethics clearance, you should start the process by reading the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2023. Section 3 of the National Statement provides valuable guidance on the ethical considerations in the design, development, review and conduct of research.
Ensure that you are aware of the Key Ethical Concerns that relate to your research including:
3. Know your specific project needs and responsibilities
Research involving certain methods or particular groups of people have specific requirements within the National Statement.
You can check whether there are additional requirements for your research on the Specific Research Areas page. If you don't find any information related to your research on this page, ensure you check with your supervisor (if relevant) or colleagues who are familiar with your research area.
4. Prepare supplementary documentation
As part of your Human Research Ethics application, you may need to upload supplementary documentation to your application. This can include (not exhaustive);
- Project Description
- Participant Information Sheets (PIS)
- Consent forms
- Confidentiality agreements
Please find further information relating to this requirement on the Participant Information Sheet and Consent page or in the templates section on our SharePoint page
5. Reach out for help
If you require assistance with your Human Research Ethics application, please contact: human.ethics.officer@anu.edu.au
6. Next Steps
Prepare and submit your application in REMS
- Allow enough time for the application and review process. Obtaining Human Research ethics clearance may be a time-consuming process, so please build allowance for this into your research design. High-risk applications are assessed monthly, and depending on the amendments requested by the Committee, this may take longer than 8 weeks for approval. Lower risk applications are assessed more frequently and have a shorter turnaround time.
- Student Human Research applications have further requirements. Research students can submit a Human Ethics application only after their supervisor has had a team created in REMS by the Human Ethics Office. The supervisor will then be required to add the student as a member of their team in REMS and create a project application for the student to fill out and submit. For a comprehensive guide/video in regards to this process, please visit the HDR Candidates and Supervisors page. Given the short time frame of many student research projects, it is especially important to allow time for the review process when planning. For more information about student applications, see the page Student and Supervisor Responsibilities in Research Ethics.
Reference documents
Use contact details to request an alternative file format.
Contact
- Enquiries relating to Human Ethics
- +61 2 6125 3427
- Send email
Page Owner: Research Services