Our research and funding documents contain support and reference information for applicants applying for funding, as well as background information for referees and committee members.
These Guidelines are based on six principles which are mostly taken from the Guidelines of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 1999 and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with Regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine 1996.
These guidance notes are provided to assist health researchers and ethics committees, but they should not be relied upon as a substitute for the provisions of the Health Information Privacy Code 1994 (HIPC).
Beyond the Health Research Council’s committees, there are other important committees and regulatory bodies in New Zealand that contribute to the regulatory environment of health and disability research.
There are guidelines and codes governing use of body parts and tissues that differ in the case of living persons and deceased persons, and depending on what the human materials will be used for.
The Health Research Council's Standing Committee on Therapeutic Trials (SCOTT) undertakes scientific assessment of applications to conduct trials and makes recommendations to the Director-General of Health on whether or not trials should be approved.
The Data Monitoring Core Committee (DMCC) was established to provide objective, independent monitoring of clinical trials funded by the HRC. This flow-chart explains the process.
The primary function of the Data Monitoring Core Committee (HRC DMCC) is to ensure that HRC-funded trials that require data and safety monitoring are adequately monitored.
Criteria for trials that require data and safety monitoring:
The Health Research Council's Gene Technology Advisory Committee (GTAC) undertakes scientific assessment of clinical trials that involve the introduction of nucleic acids, genetically manipulated micro-organisms, or viruses or cells into human subjects.
This document is a brief summary of the Guidelines on Pacific Health Research and contains a summary of the ethical principles of Pacific health research.
The Public Health Research Committee is a statutory HRC committee set out in the HRC Act, with members appointed by the HRC Council. The committee advises on public health research funding that's offered through a range of HRC grant types.