Eastern Health is committed to research that aims to improve and inform the care of our community. We do this by fostering a culture where ethical research is part of everyday clinical practice. We encourage and offer support to healthcare workers who wish to conduct ethical research.
We have strong affiliations with Australia’s top universities and educational institutions including Deakin, La Trobe, Melbourne, Monash, and RMIT. We also support collaborative research with other organisations such as Ambulance Victoria, Medicare Locals and other healthcare providers.
Major areas of research at Eastern Health include various Medical specialties, Allied Health, Nursing and Midwifery, Mental Health, and Alcohol and Drug addiction. If you would like to get advice about how you can become involved in conducting research, contact the relevant department. If you would like advice on how you can conduct your own research, contact the Director of Research and University Relations, David Taylor: [email protected].
All human research projects in Australia must fit with the guiding principles outlined in the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (National Statement). Projects must be reviewed and approved by a Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) and have site governance approval before commencement. A HREC is an independent group of people which assesses research projects to ensure that the interests of research participants are protected, and research is designed in a way that is likely to produce meaningful results. Projects are assessed in terms of research merit and integrity, justice, beneficence and respect, as outlined in the National Statement.
The Office of Research and Ethics is responsible for ensuring that research conducted at Eastern Health meets the National Statement guidelines and Eastern Health governance requirements. For further information about different types of research and how to submit a research application, visit the Research Ethics Guidance web page.