Victoria University Human Research Ethics Committee (VUHREC) application & approval process

If you intend to conduct research involving humans as participants, you must obtain ethical approval from the Victoria University Human Research Ethics Committee (VUHREC).

You must ensure that the research project adheres to all ethics principles and meets the relevant legal requirements. The VUHREC must be satisfied that the research project is ethical and lawful before granting approval. Research projects must be developed in line with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans.

When is ethical review needed?

All Victoria University staff and students (including undergraduate and postgraduate students) who intend to conduct research involving human participants and/or their data or tissue must apply for approval from the Victoria University Human Research Ethics Committee (VUHREC) prior to commencing their research.

Retrospective ethics approvals cannot be provided, as this would contravene the requirements of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

Defining human research

'Human research' has a broad definition that includes:

  • humans taking part in surveys, interviews or focus groups
  • humans undergoing psychological, physiological or medical testing or treatment
  • humans being observed by researchers
  • researchers having access to participants’ personal documents or other materials
  • the collection and use of participants’ body organs, tissues or fluids (such as skin, blood, urine, saliva, hair, bones, tumours and other biopsy specimens, or exhaled breath)
  • accessing participants’ information (in individually identifiable, re-identifiable or non-identifiable form) as part of an existing published or unpublished source or database
  • accessing health informationpersonal information, and sensitive information for research purposes. 

Higher Degree by Research (HDR) projects

PhD, Professional Doctorate and Masters by Research projects should be approved by your Institute of Enrolment through the candidature confirmation process before being submitted for ethical review.

Unapproved HDR research projects may, in special cases, be reviewed by a Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). However, researchers are required to provide good reason as to why ethical approval for the project is being sought prior to gaining candidature approval from your Institute.

Please note: If your institute requests changes to research that has already been approved by an HREC, the Chief Investigator is required to submit a request for amendment to the approving HREC.

Human research ethics advice & support

If you are submitting your first application or have had a Withheld application, we recommend that you discuss your application with a Human Research Ethics Advisor before (re)submitting it to the Ethics Committee.

This discussion should include the Primary Chief Investigator (this will be the HDR supervisor in the case of a student) and associate and student investigators.

Submitting a new ethics application

After submission

On submission, your ethics application will be forwarded electronically to the Ethics Secretary for review.

The Ethics Secretary will check that you have completed the application correctly before determining the level of risk associated with the research project. The risk level will determine which level of review is appropriate for your application.

If the Ethics Secretary is satisfied, they will forward your application to undergo a formal review. You will be notified by email when your application proceeds to formal review. This email will notify you of the risk level assessment.

If an application is assigned to low risk review, it will pass through a continuous low risk panel process, initially assigned being assigned to two reviewers and then the Chair of the Ethics Committee before the reviewed application is returned to the researchers. Please allow three to five weeks' turnaround for these applications. If amendments are required, once the researcher has resubmitted the amended application, these are normally processed within a week.

If an application is assigned for high risk review, it will be considered by the Victoria University Human Research Ethics Committee with feedback being provided to researchers within five to ten working days of the meeting.  Meetings are held eleven months of the year and submission dates (PDF, 105.66 KB) are three weeks prior to the meeting to allow for a pre-review process.

After your application has been reviewed, the Ethics Secretary will notify you of the feedback. There are four possible outcomes from the first stage of formal review:

  • 'Approved' - if your application is approved outright you may commence your research project.
  • 'Amendments Required' - your application has not been approved. You are required to make some revisions to your application. Once resubmitted, the application is reviewed by the Chair of the VUHREC sub-committee.
  • 'Withheld' - your application has not been approved. You are required to make considerable revisions to your application. Once resubmitted, the application is reviewed by the VUHREC.
  • 'Rejected' - your application has not been approved and elements have been deemed to be unethical. Your research project will not receive ethical approval in its current form. You will be provided with information as to why the research protocol has been deemed unethical.

For 'Amendments Required' and 'Withheld' applications, the specific revisions you are required to make will be communicated to you online. This is done through the 'Comments' function in Quest.

Once you have revised your application accordingly, you will need to resubmit your application to the Ethics Secretary who will forward your revised application to the VUHREC or Chair where it will undergo a second formal review.

Your application may be approved following the second formal review, or you may be required to make some further changes. Again, if you are required to make revisions this will be communicated to you online through the 'Comments' function. If your application is approved then you will be notified by email.

Remember, you cannot commence your research project until you have received formal approval from the VUHREC.

Retrospective ethics approvals cannot be provided, as this would contravene the requirements of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.  

From 2024 onwards, once your Ethics Application is formally approved, you will receive approval for a period of 3 years. Projects approved prior to 2024 will have received approval for a period of 2 years unless otherwise approved in Quest.