UNSW Human Research Ethics approval only covers the use and storage of data while research personnel have current UNSW staff appointments or are enrolled as a student. Therefore, if you are moving institutions, human research ethics approval must be established at the institution before the UNSW HREC or HREAP can approve a transfer request. In addition, all UNSW Consent Forms specify data storage locations, data access provisions, and how they will be used. If data is transferred without prior approval, confidentiality implications may lead to a privacy breach.
Staff, students, or researchers where employment or course of study ends with UNSW but would like to continue an approved UNSW Human Research Project at another university or institution must complete the following steps before transferring any data or records:
- Establish human research ethics approval at the new university or institution to receive any data or to continue data collection and analyses at another university or institution.
- Inform the UNSW head of the school to which the employee or student belongs that a copy of the data will be transferred to the new university or institution. Attach a copy of this correspondence along with the modification request. Student researchers must also inform their UNSW supervisors of their intention to transfer data. Additionally, authorship agreements should be discussed with the UNSW Supervisor or the UNSW Graduate Research School. However, these discussions are separate from the human research ethics requirements.
- Complete a modification request for the UNSW human ethics approval advising that the data will be transferred to another university or institution and attach the following documents:
- Evidence of Human research ethics approval established with the new university or institution has been established.
- Evidence of the notification to the head of school and if applicable the students UNSW supervisor.
- A completion report.
Where an external institution agrees that the human ethics approval previously established will cover the research activity conducted at UNSW:
If human ethics approval has been established with another institution and it is an NHMRC registered HREC, seek advice from that HREC to determine whether that approval will cover the research conducted at UNSW. If the approving HREC agrees, the following steps should be completed:
- Ensure that all collected data is accessed, stored, and used as approved by the HREC or as specified in the Participant Information Statements and Consent Form (PISCF). If moving institutions does not align with these requirements, approval to transfer the data must be sought from the approving HREC.
- Liaise with UNSW Legal or your UNSW Grants Officer to determine whether a data transfer agreement is also required.
- Complete the external ethics approval process to have the approval noted.
Where an external institution will no longer cover the human research activity conducted at UNSW:
If the institution requires approval to be transferred to UNSW, a human ethics application relevant to the risk level of the research must be completed and submitted. When completing the human ethics form, the researcher must make it clear that approval is being sought to transfer an ethically approved project. The human ethics form must differentiate or include the following:
- The research activity (e.g., recruitment, data collection, data storage, data analysis) that will be conducted while covered by the UNSW human ethics approval.
- Copies of recruitment materials, PISCFs, and data collection tools that will be used for data collection will continue.
- Details of any research activity (e.g., recruitment, data collection, data storage, data analysis) previously conducted at an external institution that the UNSW human ethics approval will cover.
- Details of the research data storage requirements at UNSW or, if applicable, at an external institution.
- Details of whether participant’s consent will be obtained to transfer their data if they previously provided consent for it to be stored at a specific location and it is being moved to UNSW or whether a waiver of consent will be requested to ensure that the privacy requirements set out in the PISCF that they signed are complied with.
- Advice from UNSW legal advising whether a data transfer agreement must be established between UNSW and the other institution.