The National Statement requires the consideration of research merit in the ethical review process. HREC members are not necessarily qualified to assess the research merit of each application and so, the HREC requires evidence of research merit to be submitted with each application.

Researchers need to demonstrate the research merit of their research by:

• Asking a qualified academic to review the research and complete the HREC peer review form
• HDR students also need to provide a copy of their confirmation of candidature approval from the Graduate Research Office