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(Last updated 3 October 2025)

End of year closure advice and submission deadlines

The Ethics Office will be closed from Monday 8 December 2025 and will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026.

Submission deadlines

  • Expedited review (low risk) - Sunday 16 November 2025 (for outcomes to be shared prior to the office closure date) 
  • HREC review (greater than low risk) - Tuesday 4 November 2025 (to be considered at the final HREC meeting of the year)

Please note the following:

  • Ensure to submit your applications to the local authoriser prior to the submission deadlines above to ensure they are submitted to the ethics office by the deadline.
  • Applications submitted or resubmitted after these deadlines will not be considered until after the office reopens in the new year.
  • If you submit an application by the low risk deadline and it is ultimately assessed as greater than low risk, please be aware that it will not be reviewed until the first meeting of the new year. Please consider the guidance under Application resources and guidance as to whether your application may be deemed greater than low risk and ensure you submit by the appropriate deadline. 

National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research 2025

The NHMRC has released a new 2025 version of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. The mandatory effective has now been extended to early 2026 (date to be confirmed), however, UniSQ is on track to implement the changes prior to the new year. The human ethics application form is currently undergoing revision to align with revised guidance. The effective date for UniSQ will commence upon publication of the revised form (date to be confirmed).

Key changes include a revised Section 4 on ethical considerations specific to participants in research. A summary of the changes are available on the NHMRC website.

Researchers are encouraged to stay informed and check back regularly for further guidance and resources.

Mandatory Peer Review

As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the quality of human research ethics applications, the Office for Research introduced a mandatory peer review process for all submissions on 1 September 2025.

The Human Ethics Peer Review Checklist and further details is available under Submission processes and reporting.

Local Authoriser Guidance

A new guidance document for Local Authorisers to support the review of ethics application submissions is now available under Submission processes and reporting. This provides clear advice on key considerations during review, delegation of the authorising role, and aims to improve the overall quality of applications submitted for ethical review. This advice has been implemented in conjunction with the mandatory peer review process.

Local Authorises are encouraged to refer to this document each time they review an application for endorsement.

Additional resources for ethics applicants

A comprehensive Application Toolkit is currently being developed to support applicants throughout the ethics application and review process. The first resource in this toolkit is now available under Application resources and guidance.

Additional resources are currently in development and will be released progressively as they are finalised.

Please contact the Ethics Office if you have any questions.