The University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee (UAHPEC)

Approval procedures

Please note the following changes with effect from 1 September 2009:

1. All applications from students (including Doctoral, Masters, Honours) are to be submitted by the appropriate supervisor.
2. Incomplete, poorly constructed applications will be returned to the supervisor. The UAHPEC will not review the application until an adequate, revised application is submitted.

Before completing the application:

1. Read the Guiding Principles. (These guidelines are approved by the Council and are reviewed every 3 years.)

Guiding Principles for Research (162 KB PDF)

2. Go through the Applicants’ Manual. (This manual outlines the mandatory items that must be included in the application and other information essential for making ethics applications.) Failure to comply with all requirements outlined in the Applicants’ Manual will result in the application being returned to the applicant for completion. Incomplete/non-compliant applications will not proceed to UAHPEC for consideration.

Applicant's Manual (499 KB PDF)

3. Note: Some faculties have special requirements and require the application to be submitted through them at an earlier closing date (e.g., the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences requires a signed Dean’s signature Sheet and the Faculty of Education requires the Faculty Ethics Advisor to sign off the application). Contact your faculty for more details.

Application Process:

The Low Risk Review process is currently under review and is subject to change.

1. For all research, including Masters and Doctoral theses and staff research projects, there are two routes to ethical review: Low Risk Review and Full Review.

A low risk research project is one where there is no risk of physical harm, psychological harm, exploitation or other potential adverse effect. Participants must give full informed consent and must have the right to choose anonymity in all reporting.

If any application is considered as low risk, it will be reviewed immediately and the applicant will hear the outcome within two weeks. If the application is not deemed low risk, it will be automatically put into the next agenda for Full Review.

NOTE: In all cases, the Committee will decide whether an application is low risk.

For both routes, please complete the following:

Human Ethics application form 2012 (257 KB WORD)

2. This application form is to be used for research and coursework applications. Please note that the questions in the Research Project and coursework application form are not exactly the same. Refer to the notes on the application form.

3. Submit all applications to the Research Integrity Unit, Level 10, Building 620, 49 Symonds Street on or before the closing dates.

Prior to submission, please proofread all of the documents thoroughly to make sure that the use of language is appropriate; the documents are free of jargon; and the spelling, grammar and general formatting are correct. The application will be rejected if these criteria are not met.

Please note that the agenda closing date is the last date you can submit your application for a particular round. The Committee does not meet on the day the agenda closes. They will meet around two weeks after the closing date.

Should you need any advice and guidance in addition to that given by your Faculty Ethics Advisor or supervisor on how to complete the application form and develop the documents, please make an appointment to talk to the secretary of the committee well before the closing dates (see contact details under Other information below).