Ethics and research governance

Ethics and research governance

Research Governance Guidelines for COVID-19 Interruption to research activities

Please be advised that Bendigo Health has updated the Research Governance Guidelines for COVID-19 Interruption to Research Activities that was implemented as of 25 March 2020. 

Research Governance Guidelines for COVID-19 Interruption to Research Activities: Update - June 2020

Our Research Governance Manager and our Research and Innovation teams are working in close collaboration to support our researchers and clinicians.
If you have any questions please email: [email protected] and [email protected].

Governance

All research conducted at Bendigo Health must receive ethical approval from either the Bendigo Health HREC or by an NMA reviewing HREC and also governance authorisation from Bendigo Health before it can commence.

Bendigo Health’s Research Governance Manager provides administrative support to Bendigo Health's HREC and provides advice and support to researchers with their ethics applications.

Additionally, assistance and support is provided to researchers with their Bendigo Health governance submissions.

Bendigo Health HREC Meeting Schedule, HREC Review and Research Governance Fees

• Bendigo Health Human Research Ethics Committee Schedule 
• Bendigo Health HREC Review and Research Governance Fees and Payment Form 

Please complete the fee payment form and email to [email protected] once you have submitted your application and supporting documents to Ethical Review Manager (ERM). 

A GST of 10% will be applied to all external projects (that is, where the principal investigator is not a Bendigo Health staff member). 

The Bendigo Health HREC, including its Low Risk Review Panel, is responsible for reviewing proposals involving Bendigo Health patients, clients, staff and resources.

The HREC’s primary role is to protect the welfare and rights of participants in research. The HREC consists of representation sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for constitution of institutional ethics committees.

The functions of the committee are both advisory and executive. They include consideration of the ethical implications of all proposed research projects and monitoring of approved projects until completion to ensure they continue to conform to approved ethical standards.

The committee ensures statutes relevant to ethical considerations are compiled within the formulation and conduct of research practices and policies within Bendigo Health. They also establish procedures to assist the examination and review of research proposals and protocols for new forms of treatment and therapy. As part of this it is the responsibility of the HREC to review new research proposals, monitor existing research and maintain a register of all research projects.

HREC Membership

Membership of the committee is in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines. The committee attempts to maintain a balance of gender and institutional/non-institutional members in order to represent a broad cross-section of the community.

The committee comprises:

• a chairperson
• at least two members who are lay people, one man and one woman, who have no affiliation with the institution and do not currently engage in medical, scientific, legal or academic work
• at least two members with current research experience that is relevant to research proposals to be considered at the meetings they attend
• at least one member with knowledge of, and current experience in, the professional care, counselling or treatment of people; for example, a nurse or allied health professional
• at least one member who performs a pastoral care role in a community, for example, an Aboriginal elder, a minister of religion
• at least one member who is a lawyer.