Flinders requires all staff and students to ensure that experiments involving live subjects (both human and animal):
- are worthwhile and likely to contribute to new knowledge
- are conducted and supervised appropriately
- protect the rights of the experimental subjects.
All research involving the use of Genetically Modified Organisms, carcinogenic substances, infectious materials (including human tissue samples) and ionising radiation (including radioactive substances) is also subject to stringent health and safety requirements.
Research which does not meet the most rigorous ethical, health and safety requirements cannot be undertaken at Flinders University.
Like all research institutions, Flinders has statutory obligations to preserve an ethical and safe framework for experimentation. Oversight of research ethics and safety at Flinders is carried out in conjunction with the Southern Adelaide Health Service (which includes the Flinders Medical Centre, Noarlunga Health Service, and Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia).
Ethics and safety approvals are granted by committees which are made up of researchers, expert professionals, and community representatives.
Researchers, including students, who wish to undertake research involving human or animal subjects, or which has biosafety implications, must obtain approval from the relevant committee before commencing the experiments.
More information
For more information on committees and guidance on what committee is relevant to your research project, refer to the Committees page.
