The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) ensures that all human research undertaken by the AIC is reviewed and monitored in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (National Statement). It is registered with the National Health and Medical Research Council.
The AIC HREC ensures that:
- research complies with the National Statement;
- participants are accorded the respect and protection that is due to them;
- research benefits the Australian community; and
- there is a uniform and coordinated approach to research activities within the AIC.
The Human Research Ethics Committee Policy and Procedure outlines the AIC HREC’s responsibilities, membership, meeting procedures and accountability mechanisms.
The AIC HREC does not consider research from external agencies or individuals.
Complaints
If you are a participant in a research project that has ethics approval from the AIC HREC and you would like to make a complaint about the conduct of the research, please contact the AIC HREC Secretary at ethics@aic.gov.au. Members of the public or other interested parties who have concerns or complaints about the conduct of an AIC research project may also contact the AIC HREC Secretary. The Secretary will discuss your concerns with the AIC HREC Chair, the Deputy Director and the Chief Investigator of the project as required.
All concerns and complaints are formally recorded, treated very seriously and handled in accordance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research 2018 and the Guide to Managing and Investigating Potential Breaches of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research 2018.
Waivers of consent
In some projects, it may not be feasible or practicable to obtain consent from participants. In such cases, researchers must seek approval from the AIC HREC to waive the requirement for consent. The National Statement outlines criteria that must be satisfied for a waiver of consent to be granted, including that the benefits outweigh any risk of harm and that there are sufficient processes in place to protect the rights of participants.
Since 1 January 2026, no approved projects have requested a waiver of consent.
Updated 25 June 2026