Research and Ethics

Albury Wodonga Health Research Office is responsible for the governance of research projects at Albury Wodonga Health, as well as the oversight of the Albury Wodonga Health Human Research Ethics Committee (AWHHREC).

Enquiries

AWH Ethics Coordinator AWH Library Manager AWH Research Coordinator

Clinical Trials

Getting started with research

1. Contact the Research Office (research@awh.org.au) - we're here to help you get started!

2. Read relevant Research Office Documents (see section below), research guidance material, the fee schedule and the pathway to research flowchart (at the bottom of the page)

3. Complete the GCP training module (and get a certificate) OR find your current GCP certificate

4. Check the AWH Human Research Ethics Committee meeting deadlines for submission dates

5. Create a protocol using the relevant Protocol Template (see section below) and complete the Review Pathway Checklist at the end of the protocol

6. If applicable, create a Participant Information and Consent Form or a Participant Information Sheet using the templates provided below.

7. Submit a Research Request Form for review by the Research Office - attach your draft protocol and PICFs

8. Research request approved? The Research Office will provide guidance on the next steps, such as getting ready for ethical review.

9. Do you want to publish your research? Please let us know! Complete the Request to Publish Form so we can help you get appropriate sign-off. If you're doing a Case Study, please use the AWH Case Study Consent Form to gain consent from your patient.

Code of Conduct

Albury Wodonga Health (AWH) is committed to supporting the conduct of safe, quality research to further develop the body of knowledge informing healthcare, particularly as it relates to the community of Albury Wodonga and their healthcare needs. On this page are the key resources, contacts and procedures for undertaking research at AWH to ensure compliance with the Australian Code for Responsible Conduct of Research (2018).

The AWH Research Office follows the core values of:

honesty and integrity in research;
respect for human research participants;
good stewardship of public resources to carry out research;
appropriate acknowledgment of those involved in research;
responsible communication of research results.

The Guide to Managing and Investigating Potential Breaches of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018) outlines the framework for investigating and managing potential breaches of the Code. This framework is reflected in the AWH Complaints Procedure.

Governance documents

AWH Research Report 2024

AWH Research Governance Policy

AWH Research Governance Procedure

AWH Research Complaints Procedure

Protocol templates

The Research Office has developed templates to help you form a protocol for your project. Each template includes guidance on each section and is tailored towards project type. Please contact the Research Office (research@awh.org.au) for assistance with your protocol.

Use the Research Protocol Template for general research projects

Use the Clinical Trial Protocol Template if you are initiating a clinical trial

Use the Quality Improvement Project Protocol Template if you are conducting a quality improvement project that may require ethical review (contact the Research Office for guidance)

PICF templates

Resources

Visit the AWH internal website for further resources

Our Stories

Find out how AWH supports its clinicians with their research projects, and learn more about what's underway.

Our Research Office is committed to building research capacity in the region in collaboration with tertiary education institutions. Collaborations include partnerships with Charles Sturt University, La Trobe University, University of New South Wales and Deakin University.

Albury Wodonga Health works with our partners to provide opportunities for staff to build their knowledge, skills and confidence in research and work with other health services to facilitate ethical consideration of their own research projects through the AWHHREC. For a full account of our recent research activities, please review Research Report 2024.

See also our webpage for the bi-annual Regional Research Symposium, held in 2023, 2025 and scheduled for October 2027.

Albury Wodonga Health Human Research Ethics Committee

The Albury Wodonga Health Human Research Ethics Committee (AWHHREC) operates under the NHMRC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2023. The AWHHREC's primary role is to protect the welfare and the rights of participants in research.

The AWHHREC considers clinical research projects or any research project involving humans at the campuses of Albury Wodonga Health. The AWHHREC may review projects from other health services in the Albury Wodonga (and wider) region. Please get in touch to find out more: at ethics@awh.org.au

If you are unsure if your project is Low Risk or requires a full Human Research Ethics Application Form (HREA), contact our Research Office: at research@awh.org.au

Project submission due dates

Research Office review

To ensure that research protocols and associated documents are of a high standard before being submitted to the AWHHREC, a pre-ethical review of projects will be undertaken by the Research Office. Research Office staff have research experience and can assist with protocol development.

Draft protocols for new projects can be submitted to the Research Office at least one month before the AWH Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) meeting date. This allows time for the Research Office to review the protocol and associated documents to ensure they are ready for ethical review. After review by the Research Office, researchers will be guided through submission to the AWHHREC on the Ethical Review Manager (ERM) platform.

2025-26 Project Submission Due Dates

New project protocol due before/on With draft protocol	Submission to AWHHREC due on ERM New projects, amendments and reports	AWHHREC meeting date You will be invited to attend
Wed 29 Oct	Wed 19 Nov	Wed 3 Dec 2025
Wed 24 Dec 2025	Wed 7 Jan	Wed 4 February
Wed 18 Feb	Wed 4 Mar	Wed 1 April
Wed 22 Apr	Wed 6 May	Wed 3 June
Wed 20 May	Wed 3 Jun	Wed 1 July
Wed 24 Jun	Wed 8 Jul	Wed 5 August
Wed 26 Aug	Wed 9 Sept	Wed 7 October
Wed 23 Sept	Wed 7 Oct	Wed 4 November

ERM Resources

Researchers need to submit their application through ERM. Refer to the Applicant User Guide to ERM or visit the Clinical Trials and Research website for guidance.

Ethics and Governance Fees

Fees for ethical and governance review will be invoiced within one month of receipt of approvals.

Ethical Review
New Projects
Funded / not funded	Who owns the project	Study/ application type	Fee
With Commercial Support (E.g. pharmaceutical or medical device company involved in funding the research)	Commercially initiated Project	Interventional/Clinical Trial Study	$5,500
		Observational, sub-study, extension study, registry	$3,000
		Lower Risk Study	$1,000
	Collaborative/Investigator-Initiated Project	Interventional/Clinical Trial	$3,000
	Collaborative/Investigator-Initiated Project	Observational, sub-study, or registry	$500
Without Commercial Support (E.g. funded by grant/not-for-profit)	Collaborative/Investigator-Initiated Project	Interventional/Clinical Trial	$600
	Collaborative/Investigator-Initiated Project	All other studies	$500
AWH Staff-Only Projects			Nil
Ethics Amendments
With Commercial Support (E.g. pharmaceutical or medical device company involved in funding the research)	Commercially-Sponsored Project	Major Amendment	$650
		Minor Amendment	$200
		Annual Reporting	$50
		Safety Reporting	$50
	Collaborative/Investigator-Initiated Project	Major Amendment	$200
		Minor Amendment	Nil
		Reporting	Nil
Without Commercial Support	All Other Studies (without Commercial Support)	Amendments Reporting	Nil
Governance Review
With Commercial Support	Commercially-Sponsored Project	Site-Specific Assessment (SSA) submission	$2,500
	Collaborative/Investigator-Initiated Project	SSA submission	$1,500
	All Other Studies	SSA submission	$1,500
Without Commercial Support	Collaborative/Investigator-Initiated Project	SSA submission	$500
Without Commercial Support	All Other Studies	SSA submission	$500
AWH Staff-Only Projects			Nil
Governance Amendments
With Commercial Support	Commercially-Sponsored Project	Major Amendment	$1,000
		Minor Amendment	$500
		Annual Reporting	$500
		Document acknowledgment w/o amendment	$250
	Collaborative/Investigator-Initiated Project	Major Amendment	$500
Without Commercial Support		Minor Amendment	Nil
Without Commercial Support		Reporting	Nil

AIROPLANE: Air or Oxygen for Preterm Infants: An Embedded Trial

ARROW Trial – Assessing the Reduction of Recurrent admissions with OM-85 for preschool Wheeze

A Phase 3, Multi-Arm Multi-Stage Covariate-Adjusted Response-Adaptive Randomised Trial to Determine Optimal Early Mobility Training after Stroke (AVERT DOSE)

i-HEART Trial – Implementation of HEArt failure guidelines in Regional AusTralia

Identifying and addressing barriers and enablers to implementing best-practice cardiac rehabilitation: the Quality Improvement in Cardiac Rehabilitation (QUICR) Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial

SWIFT: Symptom monitoring With Feedback Trial

Using disinvestment to investigate the effectiveness of mobilisation alarms in a stepped-wedge randomised trial design in tertiary hospitals (Control site)

Enquiries

Clinical Trials

Our Stories

Albury Wodonga Health Human Research Ethics Committee

Project submission due dates

Research Office review

2025-26 Project Submission Due Dates

ERM Resources

Ethics and Governance Fees

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