Pre approval - new applications
Preparing your application
All staff and students who will be conducting research must apply to Macquarie University's Human Research Ethics Committee for ethics review. Please consult a research ethics advisor (REA) prior to making a submission if you require ethics advice or guidance.
All applications must be submitted via the online system Forms for Research Applications (FoRA). For more information about this system, and supporting resources relating to new submissions and the management of existing applications, please refer to the Human Research Ethics Management support page.
Questions about your application can be directed to the Ethics Secretariat on +61 (2) 9850 4459 or at ethics.secretariat@mq.edu.au.
If your submission is a clinical trial, visit Clinical trials webpage.
Low and Negligible Risk (LNR) in research is defined as:
Low risk research is defined by the National Statement as "research in which the foreseeable risk is one of discomfort. Research in which the risk for participants is more serious than discomfort is not low risk.” Negligible risk research is defined by the National Statement as research in which there is no foreseeable risk of harm or discomfort; and any foreseeable risk is no more than inconvenience.
What to include in your application
Applications are submitted via the Macquarie University online All applications must be submitted via the online system Forms for Research Applications (FoRA). For more information about this system, and supporting resources relating to new submissions and the management of existing applications, please refer to the Human Research Ethics Management support page.
All supporting documentation should be attached to the online application form in PDF format. Supporting documentation may include:
- Participant information and consent forms
- Proposed questions, questionnaires and surveys
- Advertisements or recruitment leaflets, letters and emails
- Telephone scripts
- Letters of approval from organisations assisting in the research in any way
- Approval letters from other HRECs
Application assessment
Human Research Ethics applications that are more than low or negligible risk are allocated to the next available HREC meeting. Low risk applications are reviewed by the relevant sub-committee.
You should expect to receive notification about the ethical review within 10 working days following the meeting. During busy periods (the start and end of the year), it may take longer to process your application.
The low risk subcommittees review applications as they are submitted (there are no meeting dates). Applications reviewed by the subcommittees should have a response within 20 working days of submission.
Notification of outcome
Notification of the outcome is sent to the Chief Investigator by email. Researchers may receive approval, or be asked by the HREC to make changes to the application, or the HREC may reject the application. If you are asked to make changes to your application, these changes may need to be reviewed by the HREC at a meeting. In planning your research, you should allow sufficient time for human research ethics review.