Northern Health encourages investigator-driven and sponsored clinical trials. Northern Health has the capacity to conduct phase II, III and IV clinical trials. Clinical trials are currently being conducted in the following areas: Aged care | Anaesthesia | Cancer | Cardiology | Critical care | Gastroenterology| Haematology | Neonatology| Obstetrics
Research Governing and Advisory Bodies
To uphold ethical standards and offer strategic guidance for research projects within Northern Health, the Research Executive Committee and Research Advisory Group have been established to offer assistance.
Follow this link to find a list of the members of each committee.
Supporting Departments
The following Supporting Departments are available to assist you with your research project at Northern Health:
- Clinical Trials Pharmacy
- Decision Support
- Health Information Services
- Northern Imaging Victoria
- Northern Pathology Victoria
- Transcultural and Language Service
Follow this link to find out more about each of the supporting departments.
Human Research Ethics Committee approval
Northern Health does not have a Human Research Ethics Committee. Ethical approval for more than low risk research is accepted via the National Mutual Acceptance scheme.
Governance authorisation
All governance applications (site specific assessments or SSAs) are to be submitted via ERM. All research conducted at Northern Health requires a local principal investigator (Northern Health employee or honorary).
Research Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training is required for principal and associate investigators.
Research agreements
Research agreements are required when the Sponsor is external to Northern Health. Research agreements are not required to be submitted as part of an ethics submission, however, are required as part of the Northern Health governance submission. Northern Health Office of Research will facilitate the execution or sign-off of contracts. Contracts and indemnity forms are required in triplicate with two copies to remain at Northern Health. Please contact ResearchDGU@nh.org.au for further information.
A Simple Guide to Approvals for Research Projects at Northern Health
All research activities at Northern Health require appropriate approvals. This guide will assist you to understand the most appropriate pathway for approval of the project you have planned.
Research Integrity, Quality and Excellence
The Australian and international community expects research to be conducted responsibly, ethically and in order to maximise human health. Northern Health is committed to fostering a research culture that encourages responsible research practices and expects that research conducted by, and in collaboration with Northern Health, measures up to the highest standard for the responsible conduct of research.
The responsible conduct of research includes; management and governance of data and primary materials, supervision of research students and trainees, authorship and dissemination of research findings, peer review in research, management of conflicts of interest, management of collaborative research, adherence to ethical principles applied to human research, and minimisation of impacts on animals used in research.
The Northern Health research policies and procedures provide a research integrity framework to promote the responsible and ethical design, conduct and communication of research.
