Research & Research Study

Human Ethics - Application Process

The majority of applications are now processed via an expedited review process where applicants will receive feedback regarding the review of their application within 20 working days of submission. There are no closing dates, allowing applicants to submit applications anytime throughout the year.

If your application is considered to raise ethical concerns that requires in-depth discussion due to the subject matter, the population involved, and/or the proposed methodology, then your application may be deferred for review at a Committee meeting. The Committee meets once a month from February to November. Meeting dates are available on the Ethics Review Committee (Human Research) web page.

The process:

• You will need to submit your application electronically as well as in hard copy.
  
• If you are a student, your hard copy must be signed by both yourself and your supervisor. Applications that have not been signed by a supervisor will not be processed.

Electronic submission:

• Email your application as a Word attachment to ethics.submissions@vc.mq.edu.au
  
• Your complete application (including Information Statements and Consent Forms, questionnaires, advertisements etc) should all be contained within a SINGLE document. Please do not submit multiple attachments.
  
• If you have attachments that are not available electronically, they can be attached to your hard copy application but you must advise the Ethics Secretariat ethics.secretariat@vc.mq.edu.au when you submit your hard copy application that some documents have not been submitted electronically.

Hard copy submission:

• Submit your completed, signed, hardcopy application to the Ethics Secretariat.
  By mail or in person: Ethics Secretariat, Research Office, Level 3, Research HUB, Building C5C, Macquarie University, NSW 2109
• Please DO NOT USE STAPLES.
  
• You only need to submit the original application. NO COPIES ARE REQUIRED.
• Who submits your application?
  You, the applicant, are responsible for submitting your own application, however, you are strongly encouraged to consult the relevant Research Ethics Advisor for your division/department before making your submission.

• Your application will be processed once we have received both the hardcopy and electronic versions of your application. Should you have any difficulty submitting your application in either format please contact ethics.secretariat@vc.mq.edu.au or call +61 2 9850 6848.

• Please ensure that you have provided the Ethics Secretariat with a correct and current email address as we will be corresponding with you primarily through email.

• If your application is deferred for review at a monthly Committee meeting you will be notified of this decision and advised which meeting the application will be considered at.

Assistance

Should you require assistance completing the application form please refer to the document, Guidelines for Application Form, consult a Research Ethics Advisor, or contact the Ethics Secretariat on +61 2 9850 6848 or email: ethics.secretariat@vc.mq.edu.au.