Overview

Before you apply for research governance make sure you’ve applied for research ethics approval.

To apply for research governance, you’ll need to submit a site-specific assessment (SSA).

You can start the SSA form while waiting for ethics approval, but you shouldn't submit it until you have ethics approval.

Depending on the type of research, you may need to get other approvals required by legislation or policy. You'd usually get these approvals after your research project has received ethics approval.

Examples of other approvals are:

• Public Health Act approval
• Clinical and Statewide Services approval
• Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal approval.

How to apply

We recommend that you discuss your project with our research governance team before you develop your SSA. We can talk you through the submission requirements and answer any questions you may have.

Call us on 07 4184 1834 or email WBHHS-ResearchServices@health.qld.gov.au.

Step 1. Prepare supporting documents

You’ll need to submit the following supporting documents with your SSA application. The SSA application is an online form linked to your research ethics approval application.

1. The SSA form with all required signatures
2. Budget with all required signatures
3. Project protocol
4. HREA/LNR application form
5. All HREC documents, approval letter and HREC communications
6. Investigator CVs
7. Other documents depending on the project

If it’s been more than 3 months since we signed your project protocol, you must get it signed again. Email us at WBHHS-ResearchServices@health.qld.gov.au for help getting your protocol signed again.

Read Creating a Site Specific Assessment (SSA) Form Qld on the Queensland Health website to learn more.

Step 2. Submit your application

Once you've completed the documents, you can submit your application using the Ethical Review Manager (ERM).

Learn more about how to use ERM.

Multi-site application

If you’re doing research at multiple sites, you need to submit a separate site-specific assessment (SSA) application to each site.

You might also need:

• research agreements if an external organisation is carrying out the research
• university HREC approval if your project involves a university.

The research agreement depends on the type of research you’re doing. You can use templates from Metro North health and hospital services (HHS) or Medicines Australia (MA).

If you submit a non-standard research agreement, it might need a legal review. We can do this for a cost, but it might delay your project.

After you apply

After you submit your application, our research governance officer will assess your application.

We might contact you if we need more information.

You'll get an authorisation letter through ERM when we approve your project.

After we approve your project you must:

• submit a notice of commencement letter through ERM when you start your project
• submit an annual report through ERM each year
• complete the final report form in 3 months of completing your research
• inform the research governance officer if you make any changes to your project protocol including changes to the ethics approvals.