Complaints

If you are a participant in a research project that has ethics approval from a Tasmanian HREC, and you would like to make a complaint about the conduct of the research, you should call the Executive Officer on the HREC (Tasmania) Network on 6226 7479 or email human.ethics@utas.edu.au The Executive Officer will then follow up your concerns with the Chair of the committee and the Chief Investigator of the project.

If you are a Researcher who has a complaint or an ethical concerns about a project should contact the Executive Officer to discuss the issues on 6226 7479 or email human.ethics@utas.edu.au.. The complaint will be referred to the Chair and may be included on an HREC agenda and discussed at the next HREC meeting. The researcher may be invited to appear before the Committee to discuss the concerns.

Complaints against the HREC should be referred in the first instance to the Executive Officer or Chair of the relevant HREC. If the complainant is still dissatisfied, he/she may refer the complaint to the relevant University of Tasmania or Department of Health and Human Services authority.

Other interested people (for example, members of the public) who have concerns or complaints may contact the HREC Chair or Executive Officer.

When a concern or complaint is received by the Executive Officer he/she will inform the Chair of the nature of the concern/complaint and any action that he/she has taken. The complaint and the action taken will be discussed with the researcher and reported to the HREC. The HREC will make a decision on any further action to be undertaken.

All concerns and complaints are formally recorded, treated very seriously and handled promptly. If a concern or complaint is unresolved at the Committee level, it is referred to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research).