Research Compliance Newsletter - March 2022 Edition
Welcome to 2022. The early part of the year with the COVID surge and the recent flooding has affected so many in our community. We would like to thank you for your attention to the submission of annual progress reports. It’s great to see so many of these reports received on time allowing you to meet your requirements under the Australia Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. It is also pleasing to see routine notification to HREC and RGO when there are COVID-related adjustments to studies. Given the relaxation of restrictions, usual submission processes are to be followed for all new COVID-related research projects.
Team update
Our team has predominantly been working from home since the beginning of the year in line with government and Mater Research COVID workplace instructions. From the week beginning 7 March our team will return to an on-site presence. Please note that TEAMS can be used at any stage to call our team directly.
Mater accreditation
Mater Research was proud to contribute in a small way to Mater’s recent accreditation success. We were fortunate to meet with the accreditation surveyors to report on the 471 clinical studies authorised and running at Mater. Working together, we help our clinicians and researchers to ‘discover, translate and integrate’ for better health and wellbeing for our community.
Mater Research policy and procedures update
We are continuing the process of updating the Mater Research Policies and Procedures, with 25 of the 36 currently updated and available online at the Mater Policy and Procedure Library (MPPL). While it is possible to save documents to local files, please remember that the most up-to-date copy of any Mater policy or procedure document will be at the MPPL.
HREC and RGO statistics
We are continually working on improving our processes and increasing our engagements with research teams to facilitate a streamlined process for timely reviews.
Here are some statistics from our December 2021 to February 2022 HREC approvals and Governance authorisations:
HREC
- 14 ethics applications approved (6 low risk and 8 greater than low risk) with an average of 30 days with HREC.
- 50 amendments approved with an average of 15 days with HREC
RGO
- 32 SSA’s authorised with an average of 31 days with RGO
- 123 amendments authorised with an average of 18 days with RGO
These statistics are in advance of expected timeframes of 60 days’ review for HREC approvals and 33 days for SSA authorisations.
Research Governance Office update
2022 is promising to be a very busy year in the Research Governance Office, and it is great to see so much research activity at Mater.
Please be reminded that when you submit something to the RGO, it goes to the bottom of a queue of items to be reviewed. We ask you to consider this in your planning and submit your SSAs, amendments and reports as soon as you possibly can.
For studies that require a legal agreement, remember you do not have to wait until the agreement is signed before you submit your application.
If you have any questions at any stage of the process, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Research Governance Officers, Dominique and Amanda, look forward to working with you in 2022.
Monitoring update
This year we will be making some changes to the monitoring of studies sponsored by Mater that are registered with the TGA. The changes will involve closer monitoring including checking of data and possibly more monitoring visits.
If you are involved in a Mater sponsored study that is registered with the TGA, we will contact you directly in the near future to let you know about these new processes.
Agreements update
A reminder to all teams to utilise the assigned ‘Research ID number’ (RIDXXXXX) provided to you by the office. This assists the team in resolving queries sooner. In addition, if you’re able to utilise existing email threads, this assists us to ensure all communications are centralised.
We’ve noted several direct requests for agreements to be signed by Research Executive, without first going through the Agreements office. Please ensure you send all contracts to the office for review, even if you’re unsure, we can point you in the right direction. The Agreements office also coordinates signing of contracts with Mater Research Executive.
Biosafety and laboratory compliance update
UQ AEC Update
The newest and 6th UQ Animal Ethics Committee is now active. The Laboratory Biomedicine (LBM) AEC will mainly review applications relevant to SCMB, Otto and CAI facilities. It may also review applications to other Committees when their meetings are at capacity.
Closing dates for submissions to all AECs are available here on the UQ website.
MyResearch/Mosaic
The UQ Animal Ethics Unit is continuing to work through the issues in MyResearch. Many issues have been resolved in the last 12 months, but there is still considerable work to be done to improve this platform. Please advise the Laboratory Compliance Officer if you are still experiencing issues with your applications, annual or final reports, to ensure they are being reported to UQ.
Importing and exporting animals
Just a reminder to advise the Laboratory Compliance Officer when you are importing or exporting animals. We are required to log these events and to provide you with the latest version of the Mater Research Import permit when importing animals.
Aubigny Place PC2 Laboratory User Group
The Aubigny Place PC2 Lab Users Group will now meet quarterly in the Level 3 Presentation Room.
The next meeting is scheduled for 12th April. The Laboratory Audit is now scheduled for 30th March. Please email laboratory.compliance@mater.uq.edu.au for further details.
The liquid nitrogen storage room is to be sealed by painters from the Mater maintenance team. There will be a strong smell after the sealing job is complete, which will dissipate over time. We will notify all lab users via email before the job commences.
IMPORTANT: No GMO work is to be conducted in Laboratory 7 in Aubigny Place until further notice due to damage from the torrential rain. Further updates will be sent via email regarding repairs. Please speak to your study group supervisor if you have any concerns.
ERM update
If you or your team members need training or assistance with ERM, please contact our ERM support person, Ruth Lee.