SCHN Human Research Ethics Committee: Membership Opportunities

The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Human Research Ethics Committee (SCHN HREC) is looking to recruit members in the following categories:

• Female lay Members who have no affiliation with the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (SCHN) and do not currently engage in medical, scientific, legal or academic work
• A person who performs a pastoral care role in a community. For example, a minister of religion or an Aboriginal elder
• A lawyer

The HREC membership is established based on Clause 5.1.30 of the National Statement of Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2007 (updated May 2015).

About the organisation

The clinical excellence achieved at SCHN is underpinned by a strong research culture which aims to find cures for the prevention and treatment of ill health in children. Our translational research provides patients and families early access to new and innovative treatments and improves the quality and efficiency of our clinical services. The SCHN HREC is responsible for ensuring the ethical and scientific acceptability of research conducted at sites within SCHN and other paediatric specific research referred to it by any Public Health Organisation from NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD and SA.

The SCHN HREC is constituted in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007), and subscribes to the ethical standards outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki & the Royal Australian College of Physicians Guidelines.

About membership

This is a volunteer position. Members will be reimbursed for the costs incurred in attending the HREC meetings through an annual stipend payment of $350.

Members are initially appointed for a period of three (3) years and are expected to:

• Attend monthly meetings on the third Friday of each month at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead (Cnr Hawkesbury Road and Hainsworth Street, Westmead, NSW) or Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick (High St, Randwick, NSW). The meetings’ duration will be 2-3 hours.
• Prepare for the monthly meetings by receiving and reviewing electronic copies of agenda documentation which are published two weeks before the meetings. Depending on the size of the agenda, members may need to spend 6-8 hours to prepare for the meeting.
•  Attend at least two thirds of all scheduled HREC meetings in each year, barring exceptional circumstances.
•  Participate in training and professional development activities.
• Optional – Members will also have the opportunity to attend the fortnightly meetings of the HREC’s Executive Committee which is responsible for review of low risk human research ethics applications, and the ongoing monitoring of approved projects.

If you have any questions, please contact Asra Gholami, SCHN Research Ethics Executive Officer at (02) 9845 3066 or SCHN-Ethics@health.nsw.gov.au.

To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter indicating the position that you are interested in (i.e. lay member / pastoral care / lawyer), explaining why you are interested in joining the SCHN HREC and providing a background of your experiences and qualifications to SCHN-Ethics@health.nsw.gov.au. Please also provide contact details for two (2) referees.