Rec proportionate review erm online system năm 2024

All research ethics applications will be reviewed in a new online system. More on these online reviews can be found .

In accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2023 and the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes and other relevant codes and standards, the University has established a proportional review framework, which matches the process, documentation, length and rigour of the review to the risks and ethical sensitivity of the planned work.

All research and research-related activity should be tested in the Proportional Review Checklist (even if you know ethics review is not required). By answering some brief questions about your planned activity, the Checklist will determine whether the activity requires review and the most appropriate review pathway. Alternatively, your project may qualify for an ‘Out of Scope’ or ‘Exempt from Review’ notification.

Enter the ECU Research Ethics Management System and complete the Proportional Review Checklist.

If you are a student and working on a research project that aligns with your supervisor’s research project or another research project, to avoid duplication of ethical review, Research Services have developed a simple guide for determining how your research should be reviewed.

Please note that REMS is best accessed using Chrome or Firefox browsers. Do you have staff and student profiles? See how to manage multiple log-ins in Office 365 with Chrome.

All animal research project must first be checked within the Proportional Review Checklist. If your work requires full animal ethics review you will receive an automated email notifying you of this decision and taken to STREAM where you will complete your application. Visit the applying for animal ethics approval web page for more information, if notified by the Proportional Review Checklist.

Please note that if your proposed project involves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or recruitment of a greater than the normal population of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, the Research Ethics Team will seek additional input from the Centre for Indigenous Education and Research, Kurongkurl Katijin prior to review by the HREC to ensure the cultural considerations have been addressed. This may require you to make amendments to your submitted application prior to HREC review. As such projects of this kind may require a longer lead time in order to meet Committee agenda deadlines.

The Proportional Review Checklist

The first stage of the ethics review process is to complete the Proportional Review Checklist (PRC). The PRC is divided in to seven sections, with each designed to determine whether your project requires review and if it does, the proportional review pathway under which it should be reviewed.

For further information on the Proportional Review Checklist, see the Understanding the Proportional Review Checklist web page.

My research activity requires review – how do I apply?

Once you complete the PRC you will be notified of the appropriate review pathway for your research by email. In this email you will be provided with a link to a Microsoft Team site to facilitate collaboration with your research team in preparing your application, and a link to the application form. You can also access your application form and Team site through your REMS portal .

Please see the narrated PowerPoint presentation that shows you how to complete your research ethics application in Microsoft Teams.

The Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) is aware that researchers sometimes need to seek approval for a development phase of their research in order to develop or finalise data collection procedures for research projects.

Executive approval for the development phase of the project only can be granted by the Executive Committee of the HREC. This approval is for six months only, and the review process usually takes about a week.

If you have chosen to apply for Development Phase approval within the Proportional Review Checklist, you will be sent a link to a Microsoft Team site for collaboration and a link to your application form. Once the application form has been completed, the Chief Investigator should submit his or her application form for review by the Executive of the HREC.

There is a general condition of development phase approval which states:

No recruitment of participants or data collection can occur before full approval has been granted by the HREC.

Once plans for the data collection have been finalised, researchers need to notify the Research Ethics Team they wish to complete the ethics application and a link to the second phase of the Proportional Review Checklist will be sent to the Chief Investigator.

Multicentre research may include a research project:

• conducted at more than one institution, either by the same or different researchers;
• conducted jointly by researchers affiliated with different institutions;
• conducted at one institution by a researcher affiliated with another institution, e.g. a university-based researcher conducting research at a hospital;
• approved at one institution and transferred to another, for example, when a researcher changes institution; and
• for which more than one institution has responsibility for ethical review and approval.

The process for seeking approval for a multicentre research project will depend on whether the ECU Ethics Committee is the primary review committee.

ECU’s Ethics Committee is the primary review committee

An application must be submitted for review and approval via the Proportional Review Checklist. Do not choose the option in the PRC that your project has undergone a prior review.

ECU’s Ethics Committee is NOT the primary review committee

Please answer yes to the Prior Review question in the PRC and continue through until you receive an email providing a link to your Microsoft Teams collaboration space and link to the application form. In this brief application form you will be asked to upload the previous approval notification, associated application and any related participant documentation. The application will be reviewed by the HREC Executive Committee.

If your project qualifies for review via the Negligible Risk Pathway, you will receive an automated email providing a link to your Microsoft Team collaboration space and a link to your application form. The Negligible Risk application form will also be available via a link in your Team site and your personalised REMS Portal. You may use your Microsoft Team site to collaborate with the other investigators to prepare your application. Please see the helpful information in your Microsoft Team site or this narrated PowerPoint presentation for guidance in completing your application. When completing your application, please remember to upload all relevant attachments such as information letters and consent forms, copies of surveys or data collection instruments and any other relevant documentation to assist reviewers. Once submitted, your application which was deemed to have negligible risk to participants, will be assessed by the Negligible Risk Review Committee of the HREC comprised of the Research Ethics Team and overseen by the HREC chair.

A sample application form can be found here. Please note: This is a sample application form only and cannot be saved or submitted.

If your project qualifies for review via the Low Risk Pathway, you will receive an automated email providing a link to your application form. When completing your application, please remember to upload all relevant attachments such as information letters and consent forms, copies of surveys or data collection instruments and any other relevant documentation to assist reviewers. Once submitted your application, which was deemed to be of only a low risk to participants, will be reviewed by your school’s Human Research Ethics Subcommittee. More information on the Subcommittee’s can be found on the Review Committees web page.

A sample application form can be found here. Please note: This is a sample application form only and cannot be saved or submitted.

If your project qualifies for review via the Greater than Low Risk (HREC review) Pathway, you will receive an automated email providing a link to your Microsoft Team collaboration space and a link to your application form. The HREC application form will also be available via a link in your Team site and your personalised REMS Portal. You may use your Microsoft Team site to collaborate with the other investigators to prepare your application. Please see the helpful information in your Microsoft Team site or this narrated PowerPoint presentation for guidance in completing your application. When completing your application, please remember to upload all relevant attachments such as information letters and consent forms, copies of surveys or data collection instruments and any other relevant documentation to assist reviewers. Once submitted your application, which was deemed to involve a greater than low risk to participants, will be reviewed by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC).

A sample application form can be found here. Please note: This is a sample application form only and cannot be saved or submitted.

If your work qualifies for review by the Animal Research Ethics Committee, you will be sent an automated email with a link to STREAM to complete your application. For further information about applying for animal ethics applications, visit the Applying for animal ethics approval web page.

Review of Research Ethics Applications

Your human or animal research ethics application will be reviewed by one of four review committees at ECU. A preliminary review of your application will be conducted by the Research Ethics Team at which time you may be prompted for additional information or attachments. These will need to be uploaded to your Microsoft Team site.

Once ready for review, the Research Ethics Team will assign reviewers or add your application to the next HREC meeting agenda (if applicable). At any time, a reviewer or review committee reserve the right to escalate an application for more rigorous review.

All research ethics applications will be reviewed online from June 2020. You may be asked to participate in a pilot of this system from mid-May. The following videos demonstrate how the online review system works from a reviewer and researcher perspective. Please note there is no sound or voice overs in these videos, these are visual guides only to assist with familiarity of the software. If you have any questions as you undertake or respond to an online review, please contact the Research Ethics Team.

After the review is complete you will be advised of the outcome of the review and may need to include additional information or make changes to your application. Please make these necessary changes in your Microsoft Team site and return your application for further review.

• Researcher Information Sheet
• Reviewer Information Sheet

Approvals

You will be notified once your application has been approved via an automated email from the Research Ethics Management System (REMS). Notification of ethics approval will also be sent to other areas where necessary, e.g. Graduate Research Services, your supervisor, or Research Services.

All applications are approved with standard conditions of approval and some projects may also have further specific conditions of approval all of which can be found in your approval email.

Important: Recruitment of participants and/or data collection cannot commence until notification of ethics approval has been received.

Support for research ethics applicants

ECU’s collaborative approach to research ethics means there are a variety of different sources of support for you within your community of practice. These include:

How long does proportionate review take?

Notification of decision by REC The Committee must notify you of their decision within 60 calendar days of receiving your valid application and 21 days for studies accepted for proportionate review.

What is a REC review?

All studies which will involve people as participants need a research ethics committee (REC) review. The principal investigator (or lead researcher on the study) is responsible for seeking this review. RECs are there to protect the rights, safety, dignity and wellbeing of research participants.

What is the HRA rec approval process?

HRA Approval brings together the assessment of governance and legal compliance, undertaken by dedicated HRA staff, with the independent ethical opinion by a Research Ethics Committee (REC) so that you only need to submit one application.

What is ERC review?

ERC Compliance Review is for any business owner uncertain about the validity of their Employee Retention Credit claim. ERC Review is a proactive measure that reveals any potential red flags in your ERC claim.