Frequently Asked Questions

Which application form do I use?

The following main forms are available: Animal Ethics - AEC Biological Application Form - AEC Biomedical Application Form - Animal Ethics Register Application Form Biosafety - Exempt Dealing Application Form - Microbiological Dealing Application Form - NLRD plus Exempt Dealing Application Form - OGTR Licensed Dealing Application Form Human Research Ethics - HREC Application Form - HREC Learning & Teaching Application Form - HREC Project Transfer Form - HREC Cross-Institutional Approval Application Form - HREC Exemption Application Form Forms marked as "Office use only" can only be used by the Research Ethics, Integrity & Compliance team. If you are applying for a modification to an existing project application, please select the relevant modification form.

How do I create an application?

1. Login to Flinders ResearchNow Ethics and Biosafety via the OKTA portal. 2. Select the "Create Project" tile on left hand side of the screen. 3. Enter a project title. 4. Select the appropriate form from the drop down menu. 5. Start with the first section of the application accessed by using the hyperlink under 'Questions'. 6. Use the "Next" or "Previous" buttons under the 'Actions' menu on the left hand side of the screen to navigate to the next section of the application and complete each section sequentially. Using the "Next" and/or "Previous" buttons will also save your responses. If you stay on one page for a longer period of time, please use the "Save" button. 7. Use the "Navigate" button on the left hand side of the screen to go back to the project landing page to navigate quickly to sections of the application using the hyperlinks. 8. Use the completeness check at any stage of the project to see what questions still are required to be answered 9. Click "Sign" to sign and submit your application to our office for review. If required, you can also request the signature from the Chief Investigator via the "Request Signature" button. All undergraduate, Honours and Masters students must request the signature from their supervisor and/or course convenor.

How do I share an an application?

1. Click on the project you want to share. 2. Click on the "Share" button under the 'Actions' menu on the left hand side. 3. In the "Collaborator email" field enter the email address of the collaborator you would like to share the application with. Select the permissions relevant to this person, e.g. read, write and submit. 4. Click the Plus icon to add more collaborators and list their email as above. An email will be sent to the collaborator. They will then be able to log in to ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety and view the application in their "Shared Forms" folder (in the Work Area). Please note: collaborators must have logged into ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety at least once before any applications can be shared with them. Otherwise the system will not find their details. Applications can only be shared online with collaborators who have a Flinders FAN ID. If collaborators do not have a Flinders ID, the application can be should be shared by creating a PDF copy of the application.

Will I be notified when applications are approved?

Yes, you will receive an email notification from donotreply@infonetica.net. Please note that this email is outgoing only. This email will be sent to all investigators listed in an application. If you do not receive an email, please check your Spam or Junk folders. If you have a focussed email inbox, please check the 'Other' inbox.

Are signatures required?

A declaration is made by the action of submitting the project. The Chief Investigator will retain ultimate responsibility for all submissions. Please note that all undergraduate, Honours and Masters students must request the signature from their supervisor and/or course convenor. A receipt email will be sent to all investigators listed on a project, so they will be aware that a submission has been made.

How do I request a signature from my supervisor?

All undergraduate, Honours and Masters students must request the signature from their supervisor and/or course convenor. To do so, click on the 'Request Signature' button and provide your supervisor's email address. Your supervisor will receive an email and can then sign (or reject) the application. If your supervisor's email address does not appear in the search window, please ask your supervisor to log into ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety so that the system can recognise their details. Please note: Signature requests will lock the application. To make further changes, click on the 'Unlock' button under the Actions menu on the Timeline. This will cancel the signature request and the application will be unlocked.

Can I create an application if I am not the Chief Investigator?

Yes, anyone can log into Flinders ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety and create an application. However, the person that creates the application will be listed as the applicant. Applicants must be a Flinders University staff member or affiliate.

How do I respond to the Committee's feedback?

You will receive an email advising you that your application has been reviewed by the Committee. To respond to the feedback, open the application and click on 'Panel Comments' under the Actions menu. The system will then display all comments made by the Committee. Just click on a comment and then update the relevant section in the form. When you are done, please sign and submit your application again.

How do I submit a modification?

Over the duration of a project, circumstances may change, and it may become necessary to modify your ethics approval. Modification forms can be accessed by logging into ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety through your Okta dashboard. 1. Login to ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety. 2. Open the project you want to modify and click on 'Create Sub Form' under the Actions menu on the left. A pop-up appears. Select the appropriate modification form from the drop-down menu. 3. Click 'Create' to create and open your modification form. Provide the requested information and submit the form. 4. The Ethics Office will review the submitted information and unlock the approved project for modification. You will be notified once the project has been unlocked. 5. Please add the proposed changes to the project application form and submit it for approval.

How do I submit an Animal Ethics Unexpected Adverse Event Report Form?

An UAE is an unexpected event not foreshadowed in the application approved by the Committee. UAEs may be caused by, but are not limited to, the following: - Death of an animal, or group of animals, that was not expected or was prior to planned death (e.g. during surgical procedure, during anaesthesia, following a procedure or treatment); - Adverse effects following a procedure or treatment that were not expected. Examples of clinical signs that may develop include, but are not restricted to, diarrhoea, vomiting, respiratory difficulty, collapse, abdominal swelling, rapid weight loss; - If at any point in the project, the percentage of morbidity or mortality exceeds the stated amount in the application, this constitutes an UAE; - A greater level of pain or distress than was predicted during the planning of the project; or - Power failures, inclement weather etc. that impact on the welfare of the animals. Following an UAE, the University Veterinarian must be immediately notified via phone (0450 424 143) with a follow-up email (lewis.vaughan@flinders.edu.au). In the event that you are unable to contact the University Veterinarian you should contact the manager of the relevant animal facility manager AND the Research Ethics Officer. The University Veterinarian will advise you if additional investigations such as a a post-mortem examination are required for the UAE. An UAE Report must be submitted via ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety (through your Okta dashboard) as a sub-form to your approved project within within 3 working days.

How do I submit a Human Research Ethics Unexpected Adverse Event Report Form?

An unexpected adverse event is an event that was not foreshadowed in the application approved by the HREC and must be reported within 24 hours of the event. The Unexpected Adverse Events Form can be accessed by logging into ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety (through your Okta dashboard). 1. Login to ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety through your Okta dashboard. 2. Open the project you want to submit an UAE for and click on 'Create Sub Form' under the Actions menu on the left. A pop-up appears. Select the UAE form from the drop-down menu. 3. Click 'Create' to create and save your form. Provide the requested information and then submit the form for approval.

How do I submit an Annual or Final Report?

The system will send you an email when your annual or final report is due. Annual and Final Report forms can be accessed by logging into ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety through your Okta dashboard. 1. Login to ResearchNow Ethics & Biosafety. 2. Open the project you want to submit an annual or final report for and click on 'Create Sub Form' under the Actions menu on the left. A pop-up appears. Select the appropriate Annual/Final report form from the drop-down menu. 3. Click 'Create' to create and save your form. Provide the requested information and then submit the form for approval.

Where can I find SOPs, SWPs, Participant Information Forms and other templates?

To find the latest versions of approved templates, methods, procedures, monitoring forms and other useful information, please click on 'Help' in the menu on the top and select 'Templates' from the drop down menu.