At the core of our work, we exist to make sure patient safety is at the forefront of each project.

We also play a vital educational role – supporting researchers to understand and navigate the ethical, regulatory, and governance landscape of clinical research. In more specific terms, we:

• facilitate the approval of research ethics and governance requests
• manage the Austin Health Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC)
• provide advice within the National Clinical Trials Governance Framework
• ensure projects adhere to the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards, and
• build capability by educating researchers in ethical conduct, quality standards, and best practices in research governance.

Human Research Ethics Committee

The Austin Health Human Research and Ethics Committee (HREC) is responsible for reviewing research proposals that involve humans to make sure they are ethically acceptable and above all, safe.

The primary responsibility of the HREC is to ensure research proposals are designed in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025), the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), current Australian health legislation and universally adopted Good Clinical Practices (GCP) research values of respect for human beings; research merit and integrity; justice; and beneficence.

The committee is made up of volunteer members who represent a cross-section of the community, including patients, researchers, lawyers and hospital administration.

They meet fortnightly to review ethics and governance applications from research teams, and ultimately decide whether a research project can go ahead.

As a guide, we aim to respond within 15 business days so please update your own project timelines accordingly, and wait until then to follow up on the progress on your query. For any urgent queries, please contact DIU directly.

Visit the Knowledge Base on Research Architect to access:

• HREC submission deadlines and meeting dates
• HREC Terms of Reference

Industry-sponsored trials

Austin Health is working with a leading external human research ethics committee to fast track and streamline approvals of industry-sponsored trials.

As of 3 March 2025, all industry-sponsored trials – regardless of their phase – must now be submitted to Bellberry Limited for Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approval.

Researchers with access to The Pulse (Austin Health intranet) will be able to read more about the Bellberry partnership, but if you can’t access and have any questions about introducing Bellberry into your workflows, please reach out to the Discovery & Innovation Unit on 9496 4090.