Iris Ethics
Now open for applications
Australia’s first open access Human Research Ethics Committee for the evaluation, social research and market research sectors.
Our Mission: To deliver robust ethical oversight and advice for evaluators, social researchers and market researchers.
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Ethics reviews tailored to your industry
We know that when it comes to evaluation, market research and social research, ethical practice means something different.
We also know that your clients and communities don’t always have the luxury of time to get insights into programs, products and policies.
That’s why we have built a secure platform that enables fast turnaround without compromising quality or privacy.
A committee of trusted peers
Our committee includes people who have first hand experience of the kind of work that you do, and they know what high quality, ethically sound research and evaluation looks like. Our team includes people who are respected sector experts when it comes to accessible, trauma-informed and culturally safe projects, and includes lived-experience perspectives.
Building the capacity of the sector
We provide a range of free guides and resources to help you deliver ethical research and evaluation.
High-quality, high-speed review at an affordable price
We’ve got options to meet your needs, whatever the risk level. Our process is simple. So simple, we put it into a flow chart (click on the picture to enlarge).
What makes an Iris Ethics review high-quality?
We match the committee members to the application, so that it's reviewed by people who know the methods, know the stakeholders, and know the ethical issues.
What makes an Iris Ethics review high-speed?
Our committee gets to work as soon as we set up the project, so they can review and discuss it straight away. And if we have questions or need further information, we get in touch as soon as possible and include you in the discussion.
By doing this, we're able to work with you to identify how best to deliver your project ethically.
And we keep our services affordable:
Lower Risk Review
This review is for projects where there is no risk of harm, but in which there is a risk of discomfort and in which there may also be a foreseeable burden;
or
projects in which there is no risk of harm or discomfort, but which includes a potential for minor burden or inconvenience as defined by the NHMRC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research 2025.
The review is carried out by an experienced member of our team who will consider the aims, activities and outputs of the project against guidelines and advise as required on suitable improvements to instruments to ensure risks are mitigated effectively.
Should the reviewer identify that a Full Committee Review is required, the price of the Lower Risk Review will be discounted from the Full Committee Review price.
Apply now
- Review findings in under one week*
- Expert review of your project
- Not available for projects with foreseeable risk of harm
subject to availability of reviewer
Full Committee Review
This review is for projects where there is more than a low risk as defined by the NHMRC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research 2025.
The review will be carried out by a full committee drawn from our pool of members. They will consider the aims, activities and outputs of the project against guidelines and advise as required on suitable improvements to instruments to ensure risks are mitigated effectively.
You will have the opportunity to attend meetings with the committee to answer questions and discuss practical amendment options as needed. We find this saves a lot of time and gives you a chance to be an active participant in the review process.
- Review findings in under two weeks*
- Suitable for all risk levels
- Researcher/evaluator can attend meetings
subject to availability of panel
Expert Determination
What happens when you're designing a research or evaluation project, and you encounter an ethical question that can't be answered with existing resources? Maybe it's a new methodology, or an engagement approach for stakeholders.
That's what our Expert Determination process is for. We can consider the question, and provide an analysis against NHMRC, AES and TRS guidelines that can support you to deliver your project ethically. With your permission and with anonymisation we can also use these determinations to create guidance for the sector - that way, everyone can benefit from the process.
- Tailored advice for specific cases
- Covers relevant codes of conduct
- Contributing to the broader sector