How to Submit an Ethics Application on IRMA
Human research activities MUST NOT commence before ethics approval is obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). The HREC is not permitted to give retrospective approval (i.e. cannot approve research already commenced).
Applications
Applications for Human Research Ethics are submitted online through a module called IRMA.
There are three types of applications you can apply for:
- Full Ethics Application – Full ethics applications are for Murdoch based projects that require Human Research Ethics approval and are not consider reciprocal or exempt.
HREC Application Draft Questionnaire (2024)
- Reciprocal Application – Reciprocal applications are for projects where the research is part of a larger, multi-centre or multi-institutional project, Murdoch is not the lead institution for the project (this is usually because the overall Chief Investigator for the project is not a Murdoch staff member), and approval from the lead institution’s Australian HREC has already been obtained or is being obtained. Applications with HREC approvals from outside of Australia will have to submit a Full Ethics Application.
Draft Reciprocal Approval Application Form
- Exemption Application – Exemption applications are for projects that are thought to be exempt from ethics review under the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2023). Research activities MUST NOT commence before the HREC grant exemption.
Application and Project tips
Tip 6 If you have external investigator, complete an external investigator form and attach to the application documents.
External Investigators Declaration Form
Tip 7 Complete a Research Data Management Plan (RDMP) and attach to the application documents. The form can be found here and when creating keep in consideration Murdoch’s Research Data Management Policy and Procedure which can be found here.
Tip 8 Make sure you have received outside approvals when required (RAMP ; Confirmation of Candidature etc.) The Committee cannot provide ethics approval for applications that have either “Not Yet Submitted” or “Submitted Awaiting Approval”.
Tip 9 Projects that use surveys, Qualtrics is Murdoch’s preferred program.
Tip 10 Answer each question and try not to redirect the answer to another question.
Tip 11 Keep in consideration the document deadlines for meeting agendas when submitting your application.
Tip 12 Use Murdoch’s templates for Information Letters and Consent Forms.
Tip 13 Participants: Consider the people from or about whom data is being collected as participants in the research process, not subjects or objects. Stand in the participant's shoes and ask: Before agreeing to participate, what concerns could I have? What information or assurances would I need from the researcher? How can you involve participants wherever possible? How will you provide participants with information about the outcomes of the study?
Tip 14 Risk: Consider how the project will be implemented in its entirety and how potential risks can be mitigated. What will be done if something unexpected occurs? Consider alternative approaches to minimise risk. Transparent ethical considerations demonstrates your awareness of the potential risks. It also demonstrates confidence in managing the risks.
Tip 15 Don’t be afraid to contact Human Ethics for help human.ethics@murdoch.edu.au.
After my Ethics Application is Submitted
After you have submitted your Ethics Application no more changes can be made, if the application is submitted before intended by the researchers, contact Human Ethics.
After submission the application will need to be endorsed by ALL internal investigators on the project and the Head of School in your discipline. It will then be reviewed by the Human Ethics Officer and allocated to a meeting. More information below.
How to Endorse a Coversheet
When an application is submitted it becomes a coversheet and ALL the investigators and Head of School will receive an automatic email notifying them that an endorsement is required.
IRMA will send an email to the Investigators first, once they are complete, the Head of School will be notified.
Allocation of My Coversheet
Your coversheet can be allocated to two meeting types for review depending on where they fall on the risk matrix under the National Statement (NS) (2.1). This is determined by the Human Ethics Office and not the researcher.
- Low-Risk Committee – Coversheets can be allocated to the low-risk committee when they are applications that are considered low-risk under the NS. Other applications such as Reciprocal, Amendments, Adverse Events, and Renewal Resubmissions get viewed at the low-risk level. Psychology Low-Risk Applications get viewed by a Low-Risk Subcommittee.
- Full HREC – Coversheets that display aspects that are not low-risk will be viewed at the Full HREC meeting. Some low-risk coversheet may be escalated to a full HREC.
Each meeting has its own date schedule as well as deadlines for applications to be submitted and endorsed. Those can be found here. Low-Risk meetings generally occur every two weeks and full HREC meetings occur once a month.
After my Allocated Meeting
Once the date of your allocated meeting has passed, please allow up 7 days after the meeting to receive your outcome or response.
You will receive an automatic email from IRMA when an outcome has been posted.
Understanding my Outcome Letter and How to Move Forward
Below will be some information on how to understand your outcome letter and detailed actions on how to move forward. Skip to the section of the type of application submitted.
Possible Outcomes for Full Ethics Applications
If you received an approval letter as your outcome, congratulations your ethics application has been approved, and this means that the data collection phase of your research may commence.
Once approval is obtained, a researcher is only approved to undertake the research as outlined in the application and its approval conditions. Any changes or amendments must be approved before they are implemented.
All approved projects must follow the HREC Standard Conditions of Approval 2024
For more information on managing your approved project look here.
The ‘Not Yet Approved’ outcome means that the application is not quite approved and that there are some conditions the Committee would like the researcher to address. This is the most common decision by the Committee. Conditions can range from structural, methodological or conceptual issues to practical implementation issues. Conditions may ask a researcher to modify the wording and format of participant information, consent, questionnaires, surveys or other material. Conditions are based on the standards and requirements of the National Statement. The researcher is not authorized to commence data collection until approval is received.
The ‘Not Yet Approved’ letter will have a list of conditions that are required a response. Once an application is submitted no changes can be made in IRMA so this response should be submitted in a letter format addressing each condition, 'copy & paste' the Committee’s conditions into a letter and explain exactly how each condition will be met and implemented or how the research can be adjusted to meet the condition. Attach any revised documents a version with tracked changes (or highlights) and a clean version. Once completed, the response to conditions letter should be forwarded onto Human Ethics (human.ethics@murdoch.edu.au). The researcher will be notified on which meeting the response to conditions letter will be reviewed.
After this meeting a new outcome will be given.
Each ‘Not Yet Approved’ letter will be given 4 months to respond. If no response to conditions has been received within 4 months from the date of this letter, a fresh application will be required.
If you have any question about the Committee’s conditions, contact Human Ethics (human.ethics@murdoch.edu.au).
A ‘Not Approved’ outcome letter means that the application was not approved by the Committee. This includes research which is not able to be approved on ethical grounds and submissions which require substantial further work before the committee is able to consider approval.
Sometimes, applications are incomplete, lack sufficient detail for the committee to make a decision, or are submitted without all relevant attachments. In such instances the committee may feel unable to consider the application. Such applications are ‘not approved’ and applicants are asked to resubmit the application together with relevant documents to a future meeting.
If you receive a ‘Not Approved’ Letter, to be reviewed by the Committee again, you will have to submit a new application. Keep in mind the conditions and reasons given by the Committee when completing the new application.
In this new application, the Committee require a letter addressing all the conditions provided in the ‘Not Approved’ letter attached in the documents of the new application.
The researcher is not authorized to commence data collection until approval is received.
If you have any question about the Committee’s conditions, contact Human Ethics (human.ethics@murdoch.edu.au).Possible Outcomes for Reciprocal Applications
If you received an approval letter as your outcome, congratulations your ethics application has been approved, and this means that the data collection phase of your research may commence.
Once approval is obtained, a researcher is only approved to undertake the research as outlined in the application and its approval conditions. Any changes or amendments must be approved before they are implemented.
All approved projects must follow the HREC Standard Conditions of Approval 2024
For more information on managing your approved project look here.
The ‘Not Yet Approved’ outcome means that the application is not quite approved and that there are some conditions the Committee would like the researcher to address. This is the most common decision by the Committee. Conditions can range from structural, methodological or conceptual issues to practical implementation issues. Conditions may ask a researcher to modify the wording and format of participant information, consent, questionnaires, surveys or other material. Conditions are based on the standards and requirements of the National Statement. The researcher is not authorized to commence data collection until approval is received.
The ‘Not Yet Approved’ letter will have a list of conditions that are required a response. Once an application is submitted no changes can be made in IRMA so this response should be submitted in a letter format addressing each condition, 'copy & paste' the Committee’s conditions into a letter and explain exactly how each condition will be met and implemented or how the research can be adjusted to meet the condition. Attach any revised documents a version with tracked changes (or highlights) and a clean version. Once completed, the response to conditions letter should be forwarded onto Human Ethics (human.ethics@murdoch.edu.au). The researcher will be notified on which meeting the response to conditions letter will be reviewed.
After this meeting a new outcome will be given.
Each ‘Not Yet Approved’ letter will be given 4 months to respond. If no response to conditions has been received within 4 months from the date of this letter, a fresh application will be required.
If you have any question about the Committee’s conditions, contact Human Ethics (human.ethics@murdoch.edu.au).
A ‘Not Approved’ outcome letter means that the application was not approved by the Committee. This includes research which is not able to be approved on ethical grounds and submissions which require substantial further work before the committee is able to consider approval.
Sometimes, applications are incomplete, lack sufficient detail for the committee to make a decision, or are submitted without all relevant attachments. In such instances the committee may feel unable to consider the application. Such applications are ‘not approved’ and applicants are asked to resubmit the application together with relevant documents to a future meeting. In some cases, a ‘Not Approved’ is given to a Reciprocal Application because with the information provided makes the application not applicable to Reciprocal application. In those cases, A full ethics application will need to be submitted
If you receive a ‘Not Approved’ Letter, to be reviewed by the Committee again, you will have to submit a new application. Keep in mind the conditions and reasons given by the Committee when completing the new application.
In this new application, the Committee require a letter addressing all the conditions provided in the ‘Not Approved’ letter attached in the documents of the new application.
The researcher is not authorized to commence data collection until approval is received.
If you have any question about the Committee’s conditions, contact Human Ethics (human.ethics@murdoch.edu.au).
Possible Outcomes for Exemption Applications
If you received a letter granting your exemption as your outcome, congratulations your ethics application is exempt, and this means that the data collection phase of your research may commence.
All exempt projects must follow the HREC Standard Conditions of Approval for exemptions.
HREC Standard Conditions of Approval - for exemptions 2024
For more information on managing your exempt project look here.
The ‘Not Yet Granted’ outcome means that the application is not quite granted and that there are some conditions the Committee would like the researcher to address. This is the most common decision by the Committee. Conditions can range from structural, methodological or conceptual issues to practical implementation issues. Conditions may ask a researcher to modify the wording and format of participant information, consent, questionnaires, surveys or other material. Conditions are based on the standards and requirements of the National Statement. The researcher is not authorized to commence data collection until approval is received.
The ‘Not Yet Granted’ letter will have a list of conditions that are required a response. Once an application is submitted no changes can be made in IRMA so this response should be submitted in a letter format addressing each condition, 'copy & paste' the Committee’s conditions into a letter and explain exactly how each condition will be met and implemented or how the research can be adjusted to meet the condition. Attach any revised documents a version with tracked changes (or highlights) and a clean version. Once completed, the response to conditions letter should be forwarded onto Human Ethics (human.ethics@murdoch.edu.au). The researcher will be notified on which meeting the response to conditions letter will be reviewed.
After this meeting a new outcome will be given.
Each ‘Not Yet Granted’ letter will be given 4 months to respond. If no response to conditions has been received within 4 months from the date of this letter, a fresh application will be required.
If you have any question about the Committee’s conditions, contact Human Ethics (human.ethics@murdoch.edu.au).
A ‘Not Granted’ outcome letter means that the application is not considered exempt by the Committee. The researcher is not authorized to commence data collection until approval is received. This ‘Not Granted’ letter will provide reason and conditions to why the exemption was not granted.
If you receive a ‘Not Granted’ Letter, to be reviewed by the Committee again, you will have to submit a new application. Keep in mind the conditions and reasons given by the Committee when completing the new application.
In this new application, the Committee require a letter addressing all the conditions provided in the ‘Not Granted’ letter attached in the documents of the new application.
If you have any question about the Committee’s conditions, contact Human Ethics (human.ethics@murdoch.edu.au).