Ethics committees

At Alfred Health, responsibility for the ethical design, review and conduct of human research is exercised principally by researchers and the Alfred Hospital Ethics Committee.

In addition, responsibility is also exercised by Alfred Health which incorporates the Alfred, Caulfield Hospital and Sandringham Hospital, organisations funding the research, and by the Australian Government through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Researchers are responsible for the ethical design and conduct of research. The Ethics Committee is responsible for ethical review of the research. Alfred Health is responsible for ensuring that ethical review of the research occurs; and for ensuring the proper conduct of research.

The line of accountability for these responsibilities runs:

From researchers to the Ethics Committee
From the Ethics Committee to the Alfred Health Board via the Alfred Health Executive Committee
From Alfred Health to organisations funding the research, and to the NHMRC

This is usually done in the form of reports to the different agencies.

The Ethics Committee is aided by its sub-committees, the Research Review Committee and the Research Ethical Issues Sub-committee.

Ethics Committee meeting dates