Human Ethics
All research projects conducted in the School of Nursing and Social Work involving human participants require ethics approval from the School Human Ethics Advisory Group (SHEAG) before they can proceed. The SHEAG reports to either the University Health Sciences Human Ethics Sub-Committee or the University Behavioural and Social Sciences Human Ethics Sub-Committee (BSS-HESC), depending upon whether the research involves patients from a hospital.
For further information, please click here for a copy of the School of Nursing and Social Work Human Ethics Kit 2008.
2008 members of SHEAG are:
- Dr Marie Gerdtz (Chair) - Nursing
- Dr Fiona McDermott (Deputy Chair) - Social Work
- Dr Natisha Sands - Nursing
- Professor Linda Johnston - Nursing
- Associate Professor Elizabeth Manias - Nursing
- Dr Lynette Joubert - Social Work
- Dr Allison Williams - Nursing
- Ms Robyn Faulkner - Nursing
- Dr Cadeyrn Gaskin - Centre for Psychiatric Nursing (School of Nursing)
- Ms Pat Nicholson - Nursing
- Ms Anna Ugalde (Student representative) - Nursing
- Ms Nicole Hill (Student representative) - Social Work
- Mrs Brigid Walker (Student representative) - Social Work
- Dr Monica Wehner (Secretariat)
Ethics Application Process
All staff and student Human Ethics applications are to be submitted electronically via the Human Ethics Workbench in Themis.
This includes applications which are minimal risk, standard or approved by a duly constituted external ethics committee. Hard copies, appropriately signed, will still be required, and should be provided to the Secretariat, Monica Wehner, by the application deadline.
Help in submitting a Human Ethics application via Themis is available through Quick Reference Cards.
Applicants are invited to make themselves available to the committee to discuss their proposal during the meeting. They will have the opportunity to provide clarification on their proposal should the need arise.
PLEASE NOTE: All higher degree student proposals must have been approved by their Defence Panel prior to submission.
- The School of Nursing and Social Work Application Flow Chart provides an overview of the ethics application process.
- A more detailed Step by Step Procedure is also available.
Committee Dates
2008 SHEAG Meeting Dates and Deadlines
| MEETING NUMBER | SUBMISSION DEADLINE (please note that all late applications will be held over for consideration until the next meeting.) | COMMITTEE MEETING DATE |
| Meeting 1/08 | Wednesday, 30 January | Thursday, 14 February |
| Meeting 2/08 | Tuesday, 26 February | Wednesday, 12 March |
| Meeting 3/08 | Wednesday, 2 April | Thursday, 17 April |
| Meeting 4/08 | Tuesday, 29 April | Wednesday, 14 May |
| Meeting 5/08 | Wednesday, 4 June | Thursday, 19 June |
| Meeting 6/08 | Wednesday, 2 July | Thursday, 17 July |
| Meeting 7/08 | Tuesday, 29 July | Wednesday, 13 August |
| Meeting 8/08 | Wednesday, 3 September | Thursday, 18 September |
| Meeting 9/08 | Wednesday, 1 October | Thursday, 16 October |
| Meeting 10/08 | Tuesday, 28 October | Wednesday, 12 November |
| Meeting 11/08 | Wednesday, 26 November | Thursday, 11 December |
2008 University Health Sciences Human Ethics Sub-Committee meeting dates
| MEETING NUMBER | RESEARCH OFFICE SUBMISSION DEADLINE | COMMITTEE MEETING DATE |
| Meeting 1/08 | 4 February | 19 February |
| Meeting 2/08 | 3 March | 18 March |
| Meeting 3/08 | 7 April | 22 April |
| Meeting 4/08 | 5 May | 20 May |
| Meeting 5/08 | 30 May | 17 June |
| Meeting 6/08 | 4 August | 19 August |
| Meeting 7/08 | 1 September | 16 September |
| Meeting 8/08 | 6 October | 21 October |
| Meeting 9/08 | 3 November | 18 November |
| Meeting 10/08 | 24 November | 9 December |
2008 University Behavioural and Social Sciences Human Ethics Sub-Committee meeting dates
| MEETING NUMBER | RESEARCH OFFICE SUBMISSION DEADLINE | COMMITTEE MEETING DATE |
| Meeting 1/08 | 31 January | 15 February |
| Meeting 2/08 | 21 February | 7 March |
| Meeting 3/08 | 26 March | 11 April |
| Meeting 4/08 | 16 April | 2 May |
| Meeting 5/08 | 22 May | 6 June |
| Meeting 6/08 | 17 July | 1 August |
| Meeting 7/08 | 21 August | 5 September |
| Meeting 8/08 | 18 September | 3 October |
| Meeting 9/08 | 23 October | 7 November |
| Meeting 10/08 | 20 November | 5 December |
Essential Links
- The Melbourne Research Office Human Ethics at the University of Melbourne website (for general and background information on Human Ethics)
- The University of Melbourne Code of Conduct for Research (setting out the responsibilities of all University researchers, staff and students in relation to the ethical framework governing research at the University).
- The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans (which sets out the policy framework for the conduct of research involving human participants).
Further Information
Please contact Monica Wehner, SHEAG Secretariat, on email: mwehner@unimelb.edu.au or phone: 03 8344 0691