Research support and events

The RCS Research Group offers limited statistical support to its direct staff and affiliated clinicians. In the first instance, we encourage you to email rcsrc@uq.edu.au to allow us to forward your enquiry to the appropriate research member. 

Support may include:

• Discussion of research design and sample size, collected variables and data measures for the project
• Assessment of appropriate statistical analyses for the project
• Encouragement to self-conduct analyses and review interpretation of findings with the clinician
• Where appropriate, negotiation regarding undertaking analyses for the clinician and possible co-authorship

The Faculty of Medicine also provides statistical support. 

Undertaking Human Research requires ethical clearance, prior to commencing research. Human research participation includes the involvement of human beings in the following activities:

• surveys, interviews and focus groups
• psychological, physiological or medical testing or treatments
• observation by researchers
• having their personal documents or other materials accessed
• their information as part of an existing published or unpublished source or database being accessed.

If you are undertaking research which involves a number of organisations for example both UQ and HHS, you will require ethical clearance/approval from each institution. We encourage you to obtain ethics clearance from the HHS first, before UQ. 

Ethics Submissions

Ethics applications to HHS sites need to be submitted using the online forms: Ethics Review Manager (ERM). 

Applications submitted to UQ in the first instance should be submitted using: Human Research Ethics Application (HREA).

The following forms also need to be submitted to UQ:

• Protocol Template/Project Description
• Participant Information Sheet
• Consent form (if relevant, eg: not required for most surveys)

UQ Ethics forms

Once you have received ethcial approval through UQ, you are required to complete the following: 

• Annual Report - Reports are due on the anniversary of the approval date of your project each year until the completion of the project.
• UQ Request for Amendment to an approved proposal - Researchers who wish to make any changes to an already ethically approved project will need to apply for an amendment through the committee that had originally approved their project. 
• Final report - On completion of the project the Chief Investigator is required to submit a final report

Hospital ethics (HHS in Queensland)

If your projects involves a hospital in any of the following ways:

• collect data on hospital sites
• access their data/patients/staff
• a hospital staff member is part of the research team

You will need to submit your application to the relevant hospital HREC. Once you have secured approval from a hospital HREC, send the approval and all the relevant documents for ratification to UQ. Please refer to the RCS Affiliates page for more information.

Annual Progress reports (HHS)

Please refer to the RCS Affiliates page for relevant HHS reporting requirements

Final report (HHS)

Please refer to the RCS Affiliates page for relevant HHS reporting requirements

Low and negligible risk in research

All research involving humans that is not greater than low or negligible risk can be reviewed by one of the Faculty-based ethics sub committees, applications can be submitted anytime. Please refer to the UQ Low and Negligible risk page for more information.

Clinical Trials

In addition to the usual Ethics procedures, there are additional steps for all clinical trials and these are summarised here.

Ethics Committee meeting dates

Each Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) meets every four weeks on a Thursday with a two week interval between the meeting of HREC A and HREC B. To ensure that your application is considered at a meeting, you need to ensure that your final complete HREA application is submitted by 5.00pm AEST of the cut-off date for that meeting.

Please refer to the HRECA A & B calendar for more submission information.

The RCS Research Group collaborates with local public and private hospital and health services, universities and primary health networks to promote local research and clinical researchers. These events include:

Research meetings

Research Clinic Meetings

The Research Clinic Meetings, chaired by the UQRCS, brings together clinicans (junior doctors to consultants) with academics, research professionals and medical students and provides an opportunity to build research collaboration between HHS/private clinicans and students with University of Queensland research staff. Participants are encouraged to present research ideas for review and develop competitive proposals in a supportive environment. Meetings are held approximately monthly via Zoom.

If you would like to be added to the invite list, please email UQRCS Research Group.

Research Events & Showcases

Throughout the year we host meet and greet sessions in Rockhampton, Hervey Bay, Bundaberg and Toowoomba. We also participate in the Darling Downs Innovation & Research Collborative Regional Research Showcase.

Invitations and notifications to these events are widely distributed, however if you would like the information directly to your email, please email UQRCS Research Group.