Meeting Dates and Deadlines

Meeting Dates and Closing Dates for New Submissions to the Human Research and Ethics Committee for 2008.

The monthly deadline for submission of new research project application to the Melbourne Health HREC has changed. Beginning in September 2008, the deadline for submission of new research project applications will be 1:00pm on the Friday, 2.5 weeks prior to each HREC meeting.

Submission Deadline	Meeting Date
Wednesday, 6th August 2008	Wednesday, 20th August 2008
Friday, 29 August 2008	Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Friday, 26 September 2008	Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Friday, 17 October 2008	Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Friday, 21 November 2008	Wednesday, 10 December 2008

  *Please note that we will not accept any projects submitted after 1pm.

The submission deadline has been brought forward with the aim of providing our researchers with a more comprehensive review of their new research project applications. It is anticipated that the resultant rise in the standard of new research projects submitted to the HREC will lead to faster HREC approval times and a win/win outcome for all.

Meeting dates and deadlines for HREC meetings in 2009 will be posted on the website later this year.

Note
Submission of a new research project by the 1:00 pm deadline is not a guarantee that a project will be accepted for review by the HREC at its next meeting.

Following the submission deadline each month, all projects received will be carefully checked using the HREC New Project Checklist to ensure that projects meet the criteria required to allow a thorough review of the project.  Any project not meeting these criteria in full will not be accepted for review at the next HREC meeting and will be returned to the principal researcher for attention.  A copy of the HREC New Project Submission Checklist will be provided with returned submissions

Protocol Amendments, Replies to Queries, Serious Adverse Event Reports etc.
These items can be submitted at any time. There is no particular deadline. Correspondence will be reviewed by the relevant project Spokesperson(s) as soon as possible after it is received. Final approval will be determined at the next scheduled meeting of the Human Research Ethics Committee following review by the Spokesperson(s).

Other Information
All research projects involving patients of the Melbourne and Western Metropolitan Health Services and projects conducted by staff of these Health Services must be submitted to the Human Research Ethics Committee.

Projects involving work with genetically modified organisms should also be forwarded to the Institutional Biosafety Committee for consideration and approval.

If a project is approved without change, the result should be available within one week of a meeting.