AAHA Joint Ethics Committee

The new Auckland Health Research Ethics Committee (AHREC) has been established as an initiative of the Auckland Academic Health Alliance, the partnership between the Auckland District Health Board (Auckland DHB) and the University of Auckland. AHREC will provide ethical oversight and approval of clinical research carried out by staff and students of the two institutions which is not eligible for review by a Health and Disability Ethics Committee (HDEC).

AHREC will review all health and disability research studies that fulfil all the following criteria:

• The study is not eligible for review for ethics approval by an HDEC
• The study involves recruiting human participants from within the geographic region served by the Auckland DHB and/or from within non-Auckland DHB areas where the Auckland DHB is a clinical service provider in the area of practice for the research proposed
• The study involves health research conducted by any of the following: an Auckland DHB employee, a University of Auckland staff member, a University of Auckland student.

If a study involves recruiting human participants from multiple DHBs, including the Auckland DHB, applicants are to seek ethics approval either from AHREC or from another HRC-approved ethics committee to which they have access, such as the University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee (UAHPEC). Please note that the “University of Auckland staff member” includes academic staff, professional staff, honorary academics, and professores emeriti.

AHREC is now accepting applications.

Please see the AHREC webpage for more information and electronic copies of the AHREC Manual and application form. The application form and all supporting documents are to be submitted via email to ahrec@auckland.ac.nz.

Applications must include a Scientific Review and will likely require a Māori Responsiveness Review:

1.    Scientific Review Where research had been funded by a peer-reviewed competitive funding source (internal Auckland DHB / University of Auckland or external), proof of funding award will be sufficient to confirm peer review has been undertaken. For unfunded projects, applicants will be required to provide an independent scientific peer review with their application. Please see section 8.2 of the AHREC Manual.

2.    Māori Responsiveness Review Researchers should determine the level of consultation with Māori appropriate to their project in line with the criteria specified by Table 1 in the AHREC Manual prior to submitting their application. The level of consultation will vary depending on whether there is no Māori involvement, if Māori participants are involved in non-Māori initiated research or whether it is Kaupapa Māori research. Please see section 8.3 of the AHREC Manual.

The AHREC meetings and deadlines for applications are as follows: