Section 19(3) of the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 requires the NHMRC Licensing Committee to table six monthly reports in either House of Parliament on or before 30 June and 31 December each year, and at any other time as required by either House of Parliament. The reports must include information about both the operation of this Act and licences issued under the Act.
NHMRC Licensing Committee Report to the Parliament of Australia
- Report for 1 March 2011 to 31 August 2011
- Report for 1 September 2010 to 28 February 2011
- Report for 1 March 2010 to 31 August 2010
- Report for 1 September 2009 to 28 February 2010
- Report for 1 April 2009 to 31 August 2009
- Report for 1 October 2008 to 31 March 2009
- Report for 1 April 2008 to 30 September 2008 (PDF, 559KB)
- Report for 1 October 2007 to 31 March 2008 (PDF, 656KB)
- Report for 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007 (PDF, 482KB)
- Report for 1 October 2006 to 31 March 2007 (PDF, 395KB)
- Report for 1 April 2006 to 30 September 2006 (PDF, 647 KB)
- Report for 1 October 2005 to 31 March 2006 (PDF 421KB)
- Report for 1 April 2005 to 30 September 2005 (PDF 952KB)
- Report for 1 October 2004 to 31 March 2005 (PDF 226KB)
- Report for 1 April 2004 to 30 September 2004 (PDF 542KB)
- Report for 1 October 2003 to 31 March 2004 (PDF 156KB)
- Report for 1 April 2003 to 30 September 2003 (PDF 214KB)
- Report for 19 December 2002 to 31 March 2003 (PDF 178KB)
Report Pursuant to Section 16 of the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002
Information kit
Information for prospective embryo donors
The Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 established a regulatory system for the use of certain human embryos in research. This system provides couples who have spare embryos that were created for their assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment, such as in vitro fertilisation, with the option of donating these embryos to research. The NHMRC Licensing Committee has produced a leaflet which explains this and other options that are available to couples in relation to embryos which are excess to their reproductive needs.
'Human Embryo' - A biological definition
The NHMRC Licensing Committee developed this discussion in response to a request from the Council of the NHMRC for a definition of 'human embryo' from a purely biological standpoint. The paper was presented to Council in December 2005 and members recommended that the report be released as a discussion paper to provide an opportunity for a wider audience to comment on the biological definition of 'human embryo'. The definition proposed in this paper was subsequently adopted by the Australian Parliament in the Regulation of Human Embryo Research Amendment Act 2006 to replace the previously used definition of ‘human embryo’.