Research and Ethics Office

Low Risk HREA

According to the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2023, Chapter 2.1,

"Risk in research exists on a continuum with the risk profile of an individual research project falling somewhere along this continuum. In order to determine the proportionate level of review and oversight for each project, the use of risk categories is useful".

Additionally, Low Risk research "Low risk research describes research, including some types of clinical trials, in which the only foreseeable risk is no greater than discomfort."


DECISION AID
REGISTER YOUR APPLICATION
HINTS FOR ETH SUBMISSION
HINTS FOR PROTOCOL
TEMPLATES

Ethics submission requirements for studies to be reviewed by the SWSLHD Human Research Ethics Committee

Have you completed a decision aid?

Before submitting a new application to the Research and Ethics Office, and if you are not sure what level of risk your project is i.e. whether you should complete a Low Risk HREA or a Greater than Low Risk HREA. We initially recommend that you complete a Decision Aid. The Decision Aid will determine the level of risk the project is and which application you should complete.

Please note a Site Specific Application (STE application in REGIS), is required for all sites involved in the research in SWSLHD when you apply for either a ‘low risk ethics application’ or ‘greater than low risk ethics application’.

 

Decision Aid

  • Complete the Decision Aid form 
  • Email the Decision Aid to SWSLHD-Ethics@health.nsw.gov.au with subject line: Decision Aid Review.
  • The Research Directorate will email you back with a decision regarding what risk review pathway you should complete in REGIS.

 

Register your application in REGIS:

Hints for ETH submission in REGIS

  • The Coordinating Principal Investigator (CPI) will be able to give application access to team members to draft the HREA and SSA forms.
    NOTE: The CPI and Principal Investigator (PI) must submit the final applications in replacement of physical signatures in REGIS.
     
  • The PI must submit the SSA on behalf of the Research Team in REGIS.
     
  • All NSW/ACT sites where the research will be conducted are required to be listed in the Project Registration. If the sites are not selected at the time of registration, the SSA will not generate and the sites will no be added until ethics approval, via an amendment submission.
     
  • HREA Hints: Q1.9.10 MUST be the CPI and Q1.9.11 MUST have YES selected.
     
  • Please ensure a Protocol based on the SWSLHD template:Protocol Template is uploaded with the ETH application in REGIS.
    NOTE: Applications will not be considered without a Protocol. 

  • Please see our Specialist Ethics Approvals page for details on specialised ethics applications and their requirements. 

OHMR REGIS Videos
Please click here for helpful how to information and video content from eHealth NSW REGIS and the Office for Health and Medical Research's Ethics and Governance Unit.
These videos will support those submitting applications through REGIS.

Hints for protocol:

Please use the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) - Updated 2018 for ethical guidance when writing the protocol.

Please ensure the following sections are described in the protocol:

  • Background, Aims, Plan of investigation
  • Descriptive study design
  • Data Sources and Population
  • Recruitment and Screening
  • Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
  • Sample Size
  • Data analysis
  • Consent Process/Justification for a waiver of consent
  • Study procedures
  • Ethical considerations: risks, benefits, confidentiality and privacy, data storage, safety.
  • Research Outcomes
  • Please upload all other relevant study documents with the ETH application in REGIS. e.g. MASTER Participant Information Sheet, MASTER Consent Form, Investigator Brochure, Questionnaire, Data Collection Form, Flyer, Brochure, Telephone Script, Patient ID Card, Email Invitation Template, etc.
    NOTE: All master documents must have a version number and date in the footer on each page. E.g. “Protocol, Version 1.0, 11.10.2019.
  • We recommend that you use our as this will reduce the chance of missing any important information that is required for Ethics Approval. Please click here to download the PIS and CF Templates.
     

 

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Last Updated: 23 February, 2024
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