Multicentre Research

Download Form MC (194 kb)

Form MC is intended to be used for all research where the project has been fully reviewed and approved by another ethics committee (primary HREC) prior to submitting to MUHREC.

Submission requirements

Please note, you can submit Form MC at any time. There is no closing date requirement. Your application will be reviewed out of the meeting session within 2 weeks of receipt. Please forward:

One copy of Form MC and the final version of the application form used to gain approval at the primary HREC and the approval certificate. Also include all other relevant documents from other HRECs that you think the Monash MUHREC would find beneficial when they review your research.

For more information, please refer to the National Statement on ethical conduct in human research 2007 Chapter 5.3: Minimising duplication of ethical review

Monash University Policy: Multi-centre Research

When Monash University staff and students work on research projects at another institution, these projects are considered Multi-centre research projects.

Monash University researchers (staff and students) who have obtained ethical approval for a project from another Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) are also considered to be conducting Multi-centre research. Approval must also be obtained from Monash University Standing Committee on Ethics in Research Involving Humans (MUHREC).

Multi-centre research includes research projects:

Undertaken at more than one institution;
Conducted by researchers affiliated with more than one institution;
Conducted by Monash University Staff at the Southern Health and The Alfred and Inner Eastern Health Care Networks;
Conducted by Monash University researchers in a wide range of disciplines, involving collaborations across both other Universities and corporations related to Monash; and
Undertaken by new staff to Monash who have transferred here with existing research projects.

Minimising Duplication of Ethical Review

The recently released National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research encourages duplication of ethical review be minimized. Monash University has entered into agreements with Southern Health, Bayside Health and Cabrini Hospital. As a result research conducted at the respective hospitals will be reviewed by the hospital Human Research Ethics Committee and MUHREC will be notified of the outcome. Subsequently MUHREC will contact Monash researchers to provide a copy of the final application and approval certificate to be kept on file. In addition, at this time, the researchers may be required to inform Monash of other regulatory requirements (e.g. insurance, radiation, gene technology).

There is no need to complete form MC for applications from these HRECs.

Agreements with other hospitals are currently being negotiated.