Human Research Ethics

Southern Cross University is committed to ensuring that all research involving human participants is conducted ethically, in line with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2025 | NHMRC.

Ethical research is at the heart of responsible and accountable inquiry. In a time of rapid scientific and technological change, the work of the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) helps ensure that human dignity, equity, and care remain central to research at SCU.

We champion the core principles of research merit and integrity, beneficence, respect, and justice as the foundation of a vibrant, inclusive research culture. Ethics review supports a shared commitment to doing research that matters; and doing it well.

In supporting ethical research, the HREC contributes to several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDGs 3, 5, 10, 16 and 17.

Ethics is everyone’s business. Together, we create a culture where ethical thinking is embedded in every stage of research: from idea to impact. Human Research Ethics review helps protect participants, promote equity, and support research that benefits our communities and the wider world.

Human participation in research includes a variety of activities such as surveys, interviews, medical testing, clinical and nonclinical observations, and the use of personal data or biological samples.

The University has developed detailed procedures for obtaining ethics approval for a proposed research study. The process is managed through SCU's dedicated research system, IRMA. These procedures and the support provided by the Human Research Ethics team are designed to uphold the highest standards of ethical research in humans.

Human Research Ethics Training now available:

Staff module Student module

The Ethics Office is investigating ways to streamline and support our services using Generative AI tools designed to help users think through ethical considerations in a structured way.

We are designing these tools to support reflection, consistency, and clarity, not to automate or replace ethical judgement. They are part of SCU’s approach to supporting responsible and ethical research practice.

Any AI tools we deploy will operate within SCU's Microsoft 365 environment and will be subject to the same data protection framework that governs SCU's existing research administration systems. We are conducting due diligence on data sovereignty, privacy obligations under the Australian Privacy Act, and the security of research proposal content before any tool is adopted for routine use. Researchers' unpublished work and any associated participant information will be handled with the same confidentiality obligations that apply across all Ethics Office processes.

We are committed to being transparent about how these tools work and what they are used for, and we will update this page as our approach develops.

Ethics Committees

Applications and Approvals

Policies and Legislation

Resources

Training and Support

FAQs