Guidelines, Tools and Training

The application process depends on the risk level and sites involved in your research.

Please visit the How to Prepare an Application page for step-by-step guidance.

Researchers are encouraged to discuss projects early with their Manager and Head of Department to ensure support for ethics and governance submission.

One of the most important ethical rules governing research with humans is that participants must give their informed consent before taking part in a study, or an ethics committee must approve a request to waive the requirement for consent.  

A Participant Information & Consent Form (PICF) should be used when obtaining informed consent from participants. All Barwon Health PICFs must include: 

• The Barwon Health logo
• Key contact details for Barwon Health (click here for current contact information) 

If you’re not sure whether your research requires informed consent, refer to the Barwon Health Consent Manual or email rdu@barwonhealth.org.au for advice. 

Further guidance on consent and survey participation can be found below: 

• Consent in Research Involving Children: A Handbook for Human Research Ethics Committees and Researchers
• Guidance for Explaining Your Survey to Potential Participants
• PICF: CT-IQ Template User Guide (for use with the CT:IQ PICF Template)
• Writing a PICF in Plain English

Guidance on conducting research safely and ethically.

• Access to Health Records for Research Audit and Monitoring Purposes
• Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research
• Collaborative Research and Authorship
• Data Management in Research
• Determining Co-Authorship for Biostatisticians
• Guidance on Closing Barwon Health HREC Projects
• Handling Complaints in Research
• National Statement on Ethical Conduct for Human Research
• Roles and Responsibilities in a Research Project

External researchers and students must complete researcher credentialing before participating in research at Barwon Health.

Please refer to the External Researcher Credentialing Guide to determine the appropriate pathway.

If applying under any of the below honorary credentialing pathways, contact the RDU before starting your application by emailing rdu@barwonhealth.org.au:

• Honorary Medical Credentialing Pathway
• Honorary Nursing & Midwifery Credentialing Pathway
• Honorary Allied Health Credentialing Pathway

For all other pathways, the required form can be found below:

1. Scientist Application Form (Honorary Scientist Pathway)
2. General Application Form (Visiting Researcher Pathway)
3. Student Research Placement Form (Non-Deakin Students Only)
4. Student Research Placement Form (Deakin Students Only)

Applications can be submitted via ERM or emailed to RDU.

The external researcher or student must not commence on the project until a certificate of approval has been obtained.

Requirements for research involving radiation exposure.

• Code of Practice for Exposure of Humans to Ionising Radiation for Research Purposes
• Requirements for Research Involving Radiation Exposure of Human Volunteers
• Barwon Health Radiation Management Plan

Click here for instructions on how to submit for ethics, governance and risk assessment review.

Policies and procedures governing research activities.

• Research Policy
• Research Governance Framework
• Research Handbook
• Conflict of Interest Procedure
• Research Related Complaints Procedure
• Investigation and Management of Breaches of the Australian Code Procedure
• Clinical Trial Sponsorship Procedure
• Research Governance and Site Specific Assessment Process and Practice
• New Technology Clinical Practice Considerations for HREC Applications

Safety monitoring and reporting requirements.

• Research Safety Monitoring, Reporting and Management Procedure
• National Clinical Trials Governance Framework (NCTGF) Incident Management – Fact sheet

Guidance for researchers and ethics committees on identifying and managing ethical risks associated with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning and large language models in research. 

• NHMRC Guide for Assessing Research Involving Artificial Intelligence 

Before submitting your HREA or SSA, all required signatures must be provided in ERM.

Signatures can be collected using any of the following methods:

1. Electronic signature via ERM
2. Wet ink signature (upload signed page)
3. Upload other evidence (e.g. email confirmation)

Important Note: Upload all wet ink signatures and/or other evidence before requesting electronic signatures. Once electronic signatures have been requested, this will lock the form and no further changes can be made.

Once complete, remember to submit your application in ERM.

For detailed instructions, see:

• ERM Signature Instructions
• HREA Signature Instructions
• SSA Signature Instructions

Barwon Health encourages consumer involvement to ensure research is relevant and improves community outcomes.

Consumer involvement can:

• Improve research quality and relevance
• Increase transparency and public trust
• Support translation into better health outcomes

Barwon Health resources are available to support researchers involving consumers via the links below:

• Barwon Health Consumer Advisors
• Information for Clinical Trial Consumers
• Tips for Involving Consumers in Research

For further guidance on consumer involvement in research, please visit:

• Community and Research Network
• Engagement Institute
• Health Voices Victoria
• NHMRC Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research (2026)
• White Coats Foundation

Tools and resources for clinical trials and clinical research projects.

• Barwon Health Clinical Trial Research Support Hub; All about clinical trials at Barwon Health
• Global Health Network; Resources from eLearning courses to toolkits
• Australian Clinical Trials Education Centre (A-CTEC); Evidence-based, interactive clinical trial education opportunities

ERM is a paperless information management system used for the entire life cycle of a research project. 

Find guidance and support for using ERM below: 

• Applicant User Guide to ERM
• ERM Signature Guide
• HREA Signature Instructions
• SSA Signature Instructions
• Submitting a Site-Specific Application
• Training Tools & Quick Tips
• Transfer a Project in ERM

Questions? Find the answers here or contact the Research Development Unit at rdu@barwonhealth.org.au or (03) 4215 3374. 

Online training in human research ethics is currently available through the following providers:

• National Institute of Health (see Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research)
• PRAXIS Australia (access to various online courses and resources)

These courses cover key topics including:

• Research integrity
• Data management
• Authorship and publication
• Ethical conduct in human research

GCP training is an internationally recognised standard ensuring the ethical and scientific integrity of research involving human participants.  

GCP training is mandatory for:  

• Staff involved in clinical trials and interventional studies 

• Principal Investigators of clinical research projects 

Strongly recommended for all researchers to support data integrity and participant safety.  

GCP certification must be current (within 3 years). 

Barwon Health recommends the free online GCP course offered by the Australian Clinical Trials Education Centre (A-CTEC). However, any GCP training course that is recognised by TransCelerate and aligned with ICH E6(R3) is acceptable. 

What can REDCap be used for?

REDCap is a secure web platform for building and managing online databases and surveys. REDCap’s streamlined process for rapidly creating and designing projects offers a vast array of tools that can be tailored to various data collection strategies. REDCap provides automated export procedures for seamless data downloads to Excel and common statistical packages (SPSS, SAS, Stata, R), as well as a built-in project calendar, a scheduling module, ad hoc reporting tools, and advanced features, such as branching logic, file uploading, and calculated fields.

Click here to access guiding statement for REDCap – Privacy

Who can use REDCap?

Barwon Health’s REDCap system is open for all employees and can be used for research, quality improvement activities, and operational support. You can access REDCap here.

If you are not already a user of REDCap, please complete the REDCap user account application form.

External researchers are encouraged to use their own institution’s platform, however access can be arranged for collaborative projects (a Barwon Health sponsor is required to oversee external accounts. Contact the REDCap administrator for more information).

Where can I get help with REDCap?

The REDCap administrator can assist with basic training and troubleshooting. Please email redcap-admin@BarwonHealth.org.au with questions or to arrange a time for a training session. Training sessions are also available through Intersect Training.

Barwon Health staff can access a 15 minute REDCap training video within the GROW learning management system. Click here to view or search for REDCap in GROW.