WA Health Central Human Research Ethics Committee

All new research projects must be submitted through the Research Governance Service (RGS) information technology system. The RGS system can be accessed through the RGS website (external site).

Applicants for ethics approval

Applications should be finalised (proofread, edited, and corrected) before submission.

This particularly applies to participant information sheets and consent forms. Participant information sheets should be appropriate to the needs of the participants in each project and written in plain English. All projects requesting linked or un-linked statewide data must also complete and upload relevant data application forms after having received in-principle support from data custodians.

Please refer to the follow resources for more information:

• WA Health Central HREC submission guidelines (PDF 249KB)
• RGS - document templates (external site)
• Applying for data with Data Linkage Services WA
• Applying for data with PeopleWA
• Information technology (IT) security risks and mitigating controls for research (PDF 226KB).

Applications from medical practitioners seeking to become an authorised prescriber of an ‘unapproved’ therapeutic good should not be submitted via the RGS. 

The medical practitioner’s application for HREC approval to apply for authorised prescriber status with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) must be made in writing and provide sufficient evidence to justify the use of the ‘unapproved’ therapeutic good. More information on applying to be an authorised prescriber can be found on the TGA website, the CORE, or via your relevant HSP research office.

• WA Health Central HREC authorised prescriber application form (Word 255KB)

Case reports or case series are considered anecdotal and can proceed without ethics review.

Case reports: a report of a single individual with a unique disease or condition.

Case series: a retrospective, noncomparative investigation that evaluates a group of patients with a known medical condition, disease, exposure, or who have undergone a similar procedure.

If publication of the findings is a possibility, researchers must discuss the publication with the participant (or their parent(s)/guardian if under 18 years of age) and obtain their signed consent to publish.

Where consent cannot be obtained, guidance must be sought from the relevant HSP on a case-by-case basis. The matter may be referred to the WA Health Central HREC if deemed necessary. 

Research governance (RG) offices assist WA Health sites in meeting their obligation to implement effective governance of research involving humans.

The role of a Research Governance Officer (RGO) is to review, a site-specific assessment (SSA) or access request, to determine if it is appropriate for a research proposal to be conducted at a particular site. The RGO then makes a recommendation to the Institution’s executive about whether the proposal should be granted site authorisation.

This process includes consideration of:

• the suitability of the site and the investigators to conduct the research
• the assessment and management of site risk
• the identification of actual and in-kind resources required to conduct the research
• scientific and ethics approval of the research project.

All human research conducted within WA Health must undergo a governance review to ensure professional, legal and financial accountability and transparency and is consistent with the NHMRC's Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research 2018 (the Code).

The governance review is a separate process to the ethics and scientific review.

For further information about the research governance review process or about your obligations to obtain site authorisation, visit the Research Governance Office webpage on RGS.

The WA Health Central HREC welcomes expressions of interest from prospective members. Members of the WA Health Central HREC will review human research proposals, assess the ethical implications of specific projects, and promote responsible research conduct.

We also seek people who are subject matter experts in one or more clinical and/or allied health specialties to act as Expert Reviewers. Expert reviewers are called upon as required to review applications that involve their field of expertise.

In accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (National Statement), we seek:

• potential chairpersons with suitable experience (e.g. current or previous research experience, ethics committee experience, and/or senior academic or management experience)
• people who can bring a broad community or consumer perspective and have no existing paid affiliation with the Department of Health
• people with knowledge of, and current experience in, the professional care or treatment of people (e.g. nurses, counsellors or allied health professionals)
• people who perform a pastoral care role in a community (e.g. elder, community leader, chaplain, minister of religion)
• qualified lawyers, who do not have to be currently practicing
• people with current research experience
• people with knowledge and current experience in information security
• people with knowledge of and current experience in the management and use of state-wide health data collections who is employed by the WA Health system
• people with knowledge and current experience in pathology/ the collection and use of biospecimens.

If you are interested in becoming a WA Health Central HREC member or expert reviewer, please compete our Expression of Interest form.

As a member of the WA Health Central HREC your insights, critical thinking, and dedication to protecting the safety and rights of research participants will guide the research community in the development of high quality, vital and impactful research.

If you would like further information, please contact the CORE via email at HREC@health.wa.gov.au or phone (08) 9222 4214.