Role of the HMNS Ethical Review Committee

In addition to the University and Faculty level committees, the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Studies has an ethical review committee aimed at reviewing Low and Negligible Risk (LNR) research protocols from its undergraduate and coursework masters students.

The general principle is that the School committee can consider research projects under the following circumstances: 

▪ IF the project does not involve risk above the risk of everyday living

▪ OR if the project does involve risk above the risk of everyday living, but the project involves commonly accepted professional or clinical practices and procedures

▪ AND the school committee considers that it does not require UQ HREC institutional review.  

The function of school committees is not to review protocols involving a higher risk. Protocols involving a higher risk will properly fall within the jurisdiction of one of the University's central ethics committees.

If the school committee considers the risk to be above the prescribed level, or considers it prudent in the circumstances for an institutional ethics committee to review the protocol (e.g., because the research is of a particularly sensitive nature or the study population is a particularly vulnerable group), then the application is to be referred to the appropriate institutional committee. Alternatively, the school committee may require the protocol to be amended in order to reduce the risk to within the threshold level. 

HMNS Ethics: Example of Restrictions 

Blood

Understandably for a school involved in exercise science, some studies involve taking blood samples. Such studies require that a trained and certified phlebologist be on hand to take samples. Although, the groups involved have a long track record of safely administering these procedures, no studies of this type can go through the HMNS Committee.

Substances

Some studies may evaluate the controlled uptake of off-the-shelf substances (such as caffeine, sports drinks, water etc.) on sports performance. Even though these are not clinical trials they do involve administering substances to the participants and are thereforeare not within the remit of a School Committee.

Special populations

Research involving participants with any of a range of pre-existing medical or mental disorders (e.g. diabetes, cerebral palsy, mental disorders, children [some exceptions apply], or stroke) is deemed to involve vulnerable groups and so must go through one of the UQ Central Committees. 

Please note that ALL documents produced as part of the project (including advertising flyers, if employed), must be submitted to the committee for review at the time of initial application.