SA Health Human Research Ethics Committees

There are currently four Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) within the South Australian public health system.

For human research ethics committees in South Australia that fall outside the public health system, refer to the National Health and Medical Research Council website.

Information on the application process, including contact details, is available on the individual HRECs websites listed below. 

Which HREC should researchers apply to

Researchers should apply to the most relevant Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) for their study. Generally this is the HREC that is associated with the institution where the research is to be conducted, however it can also include where the Principal Investigator is located, the type of research and the specialties of the HREC.

If unsure, please contact a relevant Executive Officer and discuss the matter with them.

SA Department for Health and Wellbeing Human Research Ethics Committee

The SA Department for Health and Wellbeing Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) receives and examines research and evaluation proposals initiated or conducted by SA Health staff and/or external researchers seeking access to SA Health data and/or clients.

Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) Human Research Ethics Committee

The CALHN Human Research Ethics Committee considers proposals for human research to be undertaken at or under the auspices of Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN).

The Southern Adelaide Clinical Human Research Ethics Committee

The Southern Adelaide Clinical Human Research Ethics Committee (SAC HREC) is a joint committee of Southern Adelaide Local Health Network and Flinders University. The SAC HREC reviews:

  • clinical health and medical research undertaken at southern area health services involving patients, staff or visitors at the Flinders Medical Centre, Noarlunga Health Service and Southern Mental Health
  • clinical trials involving the administration of medicines and devices within sites under its jurisdiction
  • research conducted by staff of southern area health services, including those listed above
  • clinical health and medical research conducted by Flinders University staff or students, regardless of where the research is being conducted
  • applications from other organisations that do not have a HREC, and who have requested ethical review of their studies.

Women’s and Children’s Health Network Human Research Ethics Committee

The Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN) Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) is the primary paediatric HREC in South Australia. The WCHN HREC undertakes ethical review of paediatric research and research pertaining to women’s health in the areas of obstetrics and gynaecology. Under the NHMRC National Certification Scheme for multi-centre ethical review, the certified ethical review process for the WCHN HREC applies to clinical trials, clinical interventional research, population health, qualitative, quantitative and laboratory based research in the above noted areas. The WCHN HREC undertakes ethical review for research conducted at the WCHN, other SA Health sites, and other institutions on a request basis.

Regional health services research projects

Anyone wishing to engage in research projects within the six regional local health networks should submit an application through one of the metropolitan HRECs listed above.

Aboriginal Health Research

Any research that involves a significant proportion of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples should also be submitted to the Aboriginal Health Research Ethics Committee (AHREC) in addition to the review by the South Australian public health system HREC, where applicable. The AHREC promotes and supports quality research for the benefit of Aboriginal people.

Research offices processing times

SA Health research offices aim to process new ethics submissions within 60 clock on days and Site Specific Assessment (SSA) forms within 45 days.

The latest processing time data for ethics and governance applications are documented in the downloadable research office processing times (PDF 251MB).