About Us

Independence

A part of and apart from the sector

Iris Ethics was founded by sector leaders, and our committees include representatives from the communities we serve. But we operate as an independent organisation to ensure that our reviews can be trusted by everyone.

Inclusion

Lived and living experience representation

Good quality evaluation and research starts with lived and living experience perspectives. We work to make sure that our committees represent the communities you are working with.

Intelligence

Responding to emerging trends and technologies

Because our committees include members from the communities we serve, we are well placed to understand the trends in our sector and advise on how they impact ethical practice.

Innovation

A fully remote and digital workforce

High quality ethical review requires high quality systems. We've developed a secure digital platform that allows us to operate our committee virtually and streamline key processes. This helps us to review your application faster and to have committee members from all over Australia.

Investment

Building the capacity of the sector

Being able to deliver high quality reviews is not enough. We're developing resources and advice to help evaluators and researchers to build in ethical processes from the start.

Integrity

Transparency and rigour in our work

We are clear and consistent in our decision-making. This is vital not only to assure your research, but to ensure that we are your trusted partner.

Gerard Atkinson

Managing Director

Gerard started his international career in market research and evaluation in 2001, learning first hand the art and science of delivering high quality insights as a face-to-face interviewer. He took on the role of leading Iris Ethics after executive roles including at ARTD Consultants and Australian Government agencies. During his time at ARTD he led internal training on ethics and HREC processes, as well as delivered lower risk reviews of projects for the firm.

His contributions to the sector have included the development of accessible consultation approaches for hard-to-reach communities, the application of rubric-based approaches for program evaluation, and the ethical assessment of artificial intelligence approaches to quantitative and qualitative research.

Gerard is a current Qualified Professional Researcher of The Research Society, a member of the Australian Evaluation Society, and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also a board member of the Social Impact Measurement Network Australia (SIMNA), and a member of the Australasian Autism Research Council.

Dr Chris Maylea

HREC Chair

Dr Chris Maylea is a social worker, lawyer, and Professor of law at La Trobe University. He has practice experience in mental health services as a social worker and manager, provides advice to government and policy reform bodies. Professor Maylea’s work sits at the intersections of health, welfare and the law, and is underpinned by human rights and social justice. He is the author of over 80 peer-reviewed publications and commissioned reports, and is the author of 'Social work and the Law: a guide for ethical practice'. 

He has conducted evaluations of health and advocacy services, empirical research on interdisciplinary practice advance statements, gender-based violence in mental health inpatient units, child protection, elder abuse, and doctrinal and human rights analyses. His work uses codesign approaches, with a focus on promoting the voice of people who use health and welfare services.

Professor Maylea has extensive experience before the Victorian Mental Health Tribunal as a legal representative. He previously managed and evaluated mainstream Aboriginal and child and family community mental health services, rehabilitation units and assertive outreach and support services in regional areas. He has served as Chair and Deputy Chair of the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC), and as the legal member of the RMIT Human Research Ethics Committee and a researcher member of the Victorian Department of Health Human Research Ethics Committee.

Jo van Twest Farmer

HREC Deputy Chair

Jo van Twest Farmer is an experienced evaluator with over ten years' experience in the Victorian health and human services sector, as an evaluator, researcher and policymaker. She is passionate about how evaluation can support and prioritise people and communities who have been marginalised, including people with significant trauma, criminalisation, homelessness, LGBTQIA+ people, children and young people, and communities impacted by systemic injustice. She has conducted mixed methods evaluations for a range of organisations, including government departments, non-government organisations and community groups. 

She is particularly passionate about ethical practice in evaluation and research, particularly when working with marginalised groups and people with lived experience. She is completing a PhD at the University of Melbourne focused on improving procedural research ethics processes for research with trauma-exposed young people, and regularly delivers training and education in the evaluation sector on good ethical practice and lived experience engagement. She currently also sits as a community member of the Victorian Department of Health/Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Human Research Ethics Committee. 

Jo is an active member of the Australian Evaluation Society (AES), currently sitting on the Pathways Committee which is overseeing work to strengthen the AES Guidelines for the Ethical Conduct of Evaluations. She also Chairs the Impact Committee of Juno, a family violence and homelessness service in northern metropolitan Melbourne.