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Women’s and Children’s Health Network
Acknowledgement
The Women’s and Children’s Health Network acknowledges Aboriginal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of Country throughout South Australia. We acknowledge and respect their ongoing and deep spiritual connection and relationship to land, air, sea, waters, community and country. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices and names of people who have passed away.

Multi-Centre Research

There are two streamlined approaches for the consideration of multi-centre research ethics applications based upon the mutual recognition of ethical review by other certified Human Research Ethics Committees.

There are two streamlined approaches for the consideration of multi-centre research ethics applications based upon the mutual recognition of ethical review by other certified Human Research Ethics Committees:

  1. SA Health Single Ethical Review Model
  2. National Mutual Acceptance (NMA) Model

When conducting research at multiple sites, a separate site specific assessment (SSA) application to each institution/site where the research is to be conducted is required to ensure that research governance requirements are met.

1. SA Health Single Ethical Review Model
  1. For all multi-centre research taking place within the SA Health public health system, excluding audits.
  2. All SA Health sites participating in the research will accept the outcomes of the review of the lead HREC without further ethical or scientific consideration.
  3. Generally, the lead committee will be located at the institution of the Chief Investigator/Principal Investigator (CI/PI). However there are also specific requirements which applicants should be aware of for applications involving:
    1. databases or data registries
    2. primary research participants who are children and young people
    3. a topic or disease/health burden identified as being of specific concern to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Further information may be obtained from:

2. National Mutual Acceptance (NMA) Model
  1. As of 14 December 2015, NMA enables public health organisations of participating jurisdictions to accept a single ethical and scientific review of multi-centre human research projects. Participating jurisdictions are currently South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Australian Capital Territory (public health organisations only).
  2. The following categories of clinical trials are excluded from the single review process in South Australia:
    1. Phase 0 (first time in human) and Phase 1 Clinical Trials
    2. Clinical trials involving South Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants, for which all applications will need to be reviewed by the Aboriginal Human Research Ethics Committee in addition to a Certified HREC.
  3. The Human Research Ethics Application (HREA) Form is a requirement for all research ethics proposals submitted under NMA.

Further information may be obtained from: