Research Ethics

Applying for Human Research Ethics (HREC) Approval

The Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) meets four times annually to review research proposals involving human participants to ensure that they are ethically acceptable.

Ethics applications

All human research requires the completion and submission of a full ethics application. It is a good idea to allow sufficient time to prepare your HREC application, as processing applications may take time and sometimes require amendments. Please consult the following resources before you complete your ethics application:

Preparing your ethics application

To prepare your ethics application, please download the Requirements and Templates for HREC Applications. It contains essential templates and information on the HREC application processes involved. Remember to complete and submit the following documents, using the templates provided:

  • Information Letter
  • Consent Form
  • Questionnaire, Survey or Interview Protocol
  • On occasion, you will also need to submit a Permission Letter from the organisation where you plan to collect the data.

Please make sure you prepare and submit all required information so that there are no unnecessary delays.

Submitting your application

AC’s HREC meeting dates are as follows:

  • 4 March 2025
  • 20 May 2025
  • 26 August 2025
  • 18 November 2025

Applications must be submitted at least two weeks before the meeting date. Applications received less than two weeks prior will be held over until the following committee meeting.

Lodge your ethics application here.