Monthly meeting
Applications close at 6pm on the 15th of the month, except December. The committee meets on the Monday after the last Sunday. Koha reviews are conducted alongside standard reviews at the same meeting. Feedback returns 7–10 working days after the review meeting.
Within 7 working days
Conducted by a sub-committee on an ad hoc basis, within capacity. Contact us beforehand with the topic so we can form the sub-committee ahead of submission. Feedback provided within 7 working days; responses reviewed within 4.
Check you're in the right place
Confirm your research isn’t within HDEC scope, that you can’t access institutional review, and that yours is not commercial or government-funded research — that should go to IHREC. Our eligibility check on the home page takes a minute.
Prepare and submit
Complete the application form and gather your participant information sheet, consent form, and any recruitment materials, interview guides or surveys. Email everything to us in one message before the closing date.
Initial screening
We screen to ensure all required information is present. We may contact you for clarification, especially where there is time to resolve it before the review meeting.
Committee review
The full committee considers your application, identifies ethical issues, and — where possible — suggests how they might be satisfactorily resolved.
Feedback and your response
We compile the committee’s feedback, the Chair confirms it, and we send it to you within 7–10 working days. You respond, clarify where needed, and return amended materials. There is no deadline to respond.
Approval
We aim to review your response within 7 working days, and may seek further clarification. When the Chair is satisfied the research meets ethical standards, they move to approve and an approval letter is issued.
It depends, mostly on you
Timeframes vary with how many issues are identified and how long it takes to address them. The biggest delays are usually in the time applicants take to craft and return their response to review.