Research integrity and safety

Ethics approval

Research projects which involve the use of animals or humans must apply for ethical clearance. Though the responsibility for this rests with your supervisor, you should be actively involved in drafting information and preparing documents to lodge with the application.

It is your responsibility to follow ethical practices which are appropriate to the particular discipline and relevant profession, and as specified by the University Human Research Ethics Committee, Animal Care and Ethics Committee, and the ethical guidelines set down by any relevant government or funding body.

In some instances applications are also required for ethics clearance from other institutional ethics committees, for example the Hunter New England Health, the Department of Education and Communities, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Detailed guidelines are included with the applications for animal or human ethics clearance.

Mandatory Training in Animal Handling

If you are a research student and will be using animals in your research you must complete Module 1 and 2 of the Code & Animal Research Ethics (CARE) as soon as you are enrolled.

The training is online and free.  The modules take a few hours each to complete. They involve reading the information then completing a quiz.  A certificate is issued on completion.

Please visit Code & Animal Research Ethics (CARE) for further information and to register for the training.

Research Export Controls

The Australian Government has strict controls in place for the export of certain types of goods, services and information. ​​HDR candidates are subject to these controls.

Export can be tangible (e.g. physical transport of items, data on a USB or laptop) or intangible (e.g. emails, password access to files). ​​​Controlled items are listed on the Defence and Strategic Goods List (DSGL).

Further information on research export controls is available on the Research Advantage site.

Safe Working

You are responsible for maintaining safe working practices relevant to the field of research, and adhere to relevant documents within the Health and Safety Management System.

Research projects that involve the use of any of the following must be given clearance by the University Safety Officer:

  • recombinant DNA
  • biologically hazardous materials
  • chemically hazardous materials
  • carcinogens
  • teratogens
  • radioisotopes
  • ionising radiation
  • non-ionising radiation
  • other recognisable hazards

This should be arranged through your supervisor.

Online incident reporting

AIMS enables HDR candidates to report and investigate Health and Safety injuries, illnesses, near misses and hazards, as well as Environmental incidents, quickly and easily.

Travel Assistance

If you travel domestically or internationally as part of your research, insurance support is available for authorised and approved trips. Approval for these activities is included in the funding application process, book-able via https://travelhub.campustravel.com.au/, or through your Faculty/School. By doing so, your travel will be automatically registered on the MyTrips system, which is used to locate you in an emergency or disaster. The University’s travel policy does not cover personal travel.

Please note that if your travel is not booked through official channels, you may not be covered by the University insurance scheme and you will not be automatically registered on the MyTrips system. For more information, visit the Student Travel webpage.