Ethics Management System

The ANU Ethics Management System will consolidate management and approval processes for Animal and Human ethics protocols and Recombinant DNA dealings, into a single system and streamlined process.

Overview

The ANU Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee approves monitors and regulates the use of animals in research and teaching carried out at ANU.

The ANU Human Research Ethics Committee and Delegated Ethics Review Committee approve and monitor human research projects associated with the ANU.

The ANU Institutional Biosafety committee manages certification and suspensions of Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR)-certified PC (physical containment) facilities and assesses applications for notifiable low risk dealings (NLRDs), higher risk dealings not involving intentional release and dealings involving intentional release.  The chair approves NLRDs all other applications are submitted to the OGTR.

Animal and Human ethics protocols form the majority of current ANU research projects requiring ethical approval, with Recombinant DNA ethics dealings also having a presence.

There are opportunities to leverage similarities, between the three different ethics streams, to create a robust system that addresses the individual needs of each while achieving efficiencies in compliance reporting with ethics guidelines, regulations and legislation.

Outcomes

Outcome 1: Meet compliance obligations and business process efficiencies.

ANU is responsible for administering and managing activities required by legislative, regulatory, and organisational compliance across ethics activities.  The system will provide robust capability that will enable business process efficiencies via automation and electronic workflow.

Outcome 2: Flexible reporting and analytics.

The system will enable the provision of reliable and accurate reports for statutory reporting requirements and informed decision making. The system will provide a fluid mechanism for facilitating business planning and risk management.

Outcome 3: Consolidation of Animal ethics protocols, Human ethics protocols and Recombinant DNA dealings into a single system with streamlined process.

Consolidation, streamlined processes and electronic workflows will result in administration efficiencies by leveraging on similarities and eliminating duplication of data input whilst providing consistency in processes.