FaHCSIA is committed to ensuring that all research and evaluation activities that it undertakes, or that are undertaken on its behalf, are carried out according to established ethical principles. These principles are set down in the National Health and Medical Research Council’s National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.
The Department has established a human research ethics committee, registered with the NHMRC, to provide ethical review for projects that would not otherwise have access to such a process. At present, the FaHCSIA Human Research Ethics Committee (FHREC) is only able to consider applications for ethical approval for research and evaluation projects undertaken or commissioned by FaHCSIA.
Membership of the FaHCSIA Human Research Ethics Committee
| Associate Professor Peter Butterworth | Ms Danielle James |
| Ms Julieann Coombes | Mr Adam Johnston |
| Major David Eldridge | Mr Michael Lye |
| Mr Sean Gordon | Mr Paul McBride |
| Dr Lorna Hallahan | Ms Sally Moyle |
| Mr Nick Hartland | Dr Judy Schneider |
| Mr Sean Innis (Chair) |
Enquiries
Please direct enquiries regarding FHREC to the Department’s ethics secretariat.
Complaints
Participants in research or evaluation projects that FHREC has approved who wish to make a complaint about the conduct of that project should contact the ethics secretariat:
- by telephone on FREECALL 1800 252 604
- by email at ethics.committee@fahcsia.gov.au
- by letter at FaHCSIA Human Research Ethics Secretariat, Research and Analysis Branch, PO Box 7576, Canberra Business Centre, 2610.
Information about how complaints are handled is available here.