Titles (below) refer to sections of the application form.

For your assistance, the principles which are relevant to the questions asked in the Application form are expanded in the links to be found below. All references are from the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans and the Human Research Ethics Handbook.

For references: NS=National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans, 1999
From the Human Research Ethics Handbook, 2002:
C= Commentary on the National Statement; E= A Research Ethics Collection; L= A Research Law Collection
Page numbers are given for reference to the hard copy. Links are to the beginning of a section. It may be necessary to scroll down to find relevant the paragraph.

Please indicate the School/Unit/Centre of the First Investigator.

Please indicate by ticking the appropriate box.

Insert a brief title for the project.

Provide a clear description of the project including aims, hypotheses or research questions and methods.
See relevant links:
C pp4-5 (Integrity: 1.3 1.4 & ff)
E p143 (Research design & purpose)
E p149 (Research question)
C p11 (Research merit & safety: 1.13)
E p139 (Analysis of data)
C p5-6 (Justice: 1.5 & ff)

In research involving humans, the ethical principle of beneficence is expressed in researchers’ responsibility to minimise risks of harm or discomfort to participants in research projects.
See relevant links:
E p155 (Risk)
E p3-4 (Beneficence)

The consent of a person to participate in research must not be subject to any coercion, or to any inducement or influence which could impair its voluntary character.
See relevant links:
C p9 (Coercion, inducement: 1.10)
E p33 (Deception)
E p107-8 (Selection, recruitment)

In general, written informed consent should be obtained from each participant, except in the case of the consent implied by returning a self-completed written questionnaire.
See relevant links:
C p7-11 (Consent)
E p29-31 (Consent)
L p13-18 (Consent)

Protection of the privacy and confidentiality of research participants is a fundamental ethical principle. If there is a requirement for the researcher to collect or disclose information of a personal nature without consent, the HREA Panel Privacy Data Form should be completed.
See relevant links:
NS18 (Privacy of information)
Privacy NSW. Health Records And Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). Statutory guidelines on research.
NHMRC. The Regulation of Health Information Privacy in Australia

There are important ethical principles involved in research that includes audio-taping or video-taping of participants and research involving access to potentially identifiable data in stored records and databases.
See relevant links:
NS17 (Deception)
NS1.11 (De-identified data)

The researcher should ensure that the confidentiality, privacy and anonymity of all participants are maintained at all stages of the research project.
See relevant links:
Information Privacy Principles
NS 1.1 (Respect for persons)
NS 1.19 (Collectivities)
C p14 (Storage of information & access: 1.19, 1.20)
NS 1.20 (University storage)
NS 14 (Epidemiological research)
C p85-89 (Epidemiological research)

In some fields of research, there may be exceptional circumstances where studies cannot be conducted without deception, concealment, or covert observation of participants.
See relevant links:
NS 17(Research involving Deception, concealment or covert observation)
E p33 (Research involving Deception)
L p21 (Research involving Deception)
C p111-112 (Research involving Deception, concealment or covert observation)

Conflicts of interest are not usually the result of malign motivations of particular individuals but most often arise out of research design, relationships or practices.

Conflicts (or potential conflicts) of interest must be declared.
See relevant links:
NS 2.21 (Procedures - financial dealings)
E p25-27 (Conflicts of interest)
C p30 (Financial disclosure: 2.21-2.22)

Institutions (other than UNSW) may be involved in the research (e.g. as co-investigators, sponsors, or as sites of recruitment.
See relevant links:
NS3 (Multi-centre research)
C p41-44 (Multi-centre research)

An application will not be considered by the Human Research Ethics Advisory Panel unless the signatures of all Investigators plus the Supervisor (in the case of student research); or the signature of the Investigator (in the case of academic staff research) appear on the form.

Please also use the checklist to ensure that all required attachments accompany the application.