Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices, and names of people who have passed away.

Ethical Review: AHREC

Please be advised that the AHREC meeting for 2024 is set for 22 February 2024. We kindly remind you that all submissions must be completed by Monday 12 February 2024.

The date for the next meeting will be provided accordingly.

Aboriginal Health Research Ethics Committee

About AHREC

The Aboriginal Health Research Ethics Committee (AHREC) promotes and supports quality research that will benefit Aboriginal people.

The Committee was established in 1986 following concerns by the then Aboriginal Health Organisation of South Australia about the increasing volume of research being conducted in Aboriginal communities in South Australia.

AHREC’s objectives are to monitor and coordinate medical and health research in Aboriginal communities in South Australia, to offer advice to communities on the ethics, methodology and potential benefits of research and to review the research needs of Aboriginal communities in order to determine priorities for research.

AHREC is guided by the principles set out in the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) ‘National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research’ (2007) as a registered HREC. Proposals to conduct health-related research involving Aboriginal people or communities in South Australia need to be submitted to AHREC in line with AHREC’s Scope of Review, even if approval has been, or will be, obtained from the researcher’s institution or SA Health.

AHREC is a specialist committee in Aboriginal health research and its scope does not extend to studies without a direct focus on health or commissioned program evaluations. AHREC distinguishes evaluations conducted for research purposes and evaluations conducted for commissioned reporting purposes. If an evaluation will be conducted for research purposes, please be advised that it will be expected to meet AHREC’s standard of review below. In other words, what is in the scope of evaluation to achieve, or not be able to achieve, the requisite extent of consultation, data saturation and scientific validity should drive the choice to conduct a study as a program evaluation or as an evaluation for research purposes.

All human research must comply with the:

AHREC also takes into account the following companion documents and guidelines during an ethical review:

The researchers are required to review the following information:

+-Expression of Interest for AHREC Membership

+-AHREC Application Process

+-Instructions and FAQ

+-Electronic version submission address

+-Submission dates

+-Complaints

+-Covid-19 Pandemic Related AHREC Updates