Member Ethics Committee

• 4 hours per month (February – December), plus time taken to review meeting package
• Austin Hospital, 145 Studley Road Heidelberg location
• $200 sitting fee for each meeting. 

Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education andresearch across three campuses in the north-east of Melbourne and state-wide. We have ahighly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our purpose, which is tohelp people live healthy and fulfilled lives.

About the Office for Research
The Office for Research (OfR) is moving to a model that provides holistic ethics, integrity andbiosafety advice, support and service to researchers and our research partners. To deliver on the strategic plan, the OfR has created a Research Integrity function within the office. This arm of the OfR will provide a program of training and development for Researchers, EthicsCommittee Members, and Divisional Teams and Departments to ensure research is embedded in the fabric of the hospital.

The Austin Health Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) operates in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) Updated 2018 (the National Statement) and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (the Code). The primary responsibility of the HREC is to ensure research proposals are designed in accordance with the following values: 

a.    respect for human beings 
b.    research merit and integrity 

c.    justice 
d.    beneficence

About the role
A regular meeting will see you:

• Review applications for projects and approve only those projects that are ethically acceptable as defined by section 2.1.3 of the National Statement and conform to the requirements of the National Statement.
• Review applications for activities associated with research conducted with or about people, or their data or tissue.
• Conduct follow-up review of approved projects and activities, and allow the continuation of approval for only those projects and activities that are ethically acceptable and conform to the requirements of the National Statement.
• Take appropriate actions regarding unexpected adverse events.
• Take appropriate actions regarding non-compliance.
• Provide advice and recommendations to the institution.
• Report on its operations to the institution.

About you

To be successful in this role, you will:

• Become familiar with the National Statement;
• Attend at least half of the scheduled meetings in the calendar year;
• Review applications and make recommendations regarding the ethical acceptability of projects presented to the HREC;
• Ensure that any comments submitted about a project are relevant to the National Statement and other relevant guidelines and regulations;
• From time to time, be willing to review HREC items outside of the normal meeting schedule;
• From time to time participate in our Community of Practice, where real-time feedback is given to researchers about their project prior to submission; and
• Maintain confidentiality of the committee’s proceedings. 

Our benefits

Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day. Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including:

• Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging benefits, for living expenses, meals and holiday accommodation
• A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounts on fitness memberships and health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program
• Mentoring and career development opportunities
• Onsite childcare, easy access via public transport, car parking and end of journey facilities for cyclists

Work with us!

We are committed to cultural safety and health equity for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. We celebrate, value, and include people of all backgrounds, genders, identities, cultures, bodies, and abilities. We welcome and support applications from talented people identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, people with disability, neurodiverse people, LGBTQIA+ and people of all ages and cultures.

If you feel this role is right for you, we encourage your early application.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place prior to the closing date. This means we reserve the right to close a job ad prior to the advertised closing date. 

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory National Police Check and if required, a Working With Children Check. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, you are welcome to reach out to the hiring manager: Renata Phyland (Ethics, Integrity and Governance Operations Team Leader) Renata.Phyland@ausitn.org.au

Interested in finding out more about this opportunity? Read the position description for further details.

Application closing date: 30 September 2024