Institution approvals

From 2015, NHMRC no longer required Administering Institutions to complete and submit ‘Research Ethics Committee and Regulatory Approvals Clearance Notification’ forms to NHMRC.

• As part of accepting the offer of funding, Administering Institutions accept the grant conditions stated on the Grant Schedule must ensure that each Research Activity is carried out in an ethical, responsible, diligent and competent manner, and in accordance with the NHMRC Funding Agreement, the requirements for being an Administering Institution, the Funding Policy that applies to the Scheme under which the Research Activity is Funded, any Funding Conditions that apply to the Research Activity and all applicable NHMRC Approved Standards and Guidelines (including obtaining, maintaining and complying with any Institutional Approvals) (refer NHMRC Funding Agreement, clause 4).
• NHMRC will not impose application based specific conditions (for example, for institutional approvals related to human ethics clearance, animal ethics clearance, genetic manipulation clearance and biosafety) that stop commencement of grant payments.
• In certain circumstances it may be possible for some research and other activities under the grant to occur prior to institutional approvals being in place (for example, staff recruitment, planning). In these circumstances, a request to defer the commencement date is not required and NHMRC may begin making payments from the scheduled commencement date.
• Where institutional approvals are needed before any part of the research activity can start, and the approvals are not expected to be obtained by the scheduled commencement date then the Chief Investigator A should request to defer the commencement date (see Vary your Grant). This will stop payments being made before the necessary institutional approvals are in place and will reduce the likelihood that NHMRC may need to recover funds.

Institutional approvals not obtained, withdrawn or not renewed 

Where an institutional approval necessary for the performance of a part of a research activity has not been obtained by the time it is needed, or is withdrawn or not renewed during the funding period for that research activity the Administering Institution must advise NHMRC immediately either via a grant variation request in Sapphire (for example, defer commencement date, defer in-progress grant) or, where this is not possible, in writing to postaward.management@nhmrc.gov.au.  

Additional information 

At any time NHMRC may audit institutional approvals held by an Administering Institution and/or request further information in relation to decisions made in response to an application for ethics approval or biosafety committee approval, including copies of relevant approvals. 

General queries in relation to institutional approvals are to be directed to RAOs in the first instance. If further assistance is needed, then RAOs may contact postaward.management@nhmrc.gov.au.