Welcome to the guidance and instructions for Scientific Peer Review (SPR) and Ethics Application review for the Department of Public Health – Dunedin (DPH). The SPR/ethics review are conducted simultaneously by members of the DPH Ethics Committee. Dr Jude Sligo is currently the Chair of this Committee.
Read the bios for the PSM Ethics Committee (PDF)
Scientific peer and ethics application review is required for all research conducted by DPH researchers. Please allow two weeks for the departmental SPR/ethics review. Review by the Departmental Ethics Committee takes place before the submission of an ethics application to the University of Otago Human Ethics Committee (UOHEC).
Note that Conduit is the online system for UOHEC reviews. Draft applications are reviewed by two DPH ethics committee members via the Conduit system. When the departmental process is complete, applications are submitted via Conduit. Researchers should enter their applications into the Conduit system.
Do not push submit until the DPH review process is complete. If you submit your application prior to DPH ethical and scientific peer review, it will automatically be REJECTED.
Key steps for submitting UOHEC reviews
- If you have a research project coming up, please email the Chair of the DPH Ethics Committee with an approximate timeframe and a brief outline of the methodology of project.
Email psm.ethics@otago.ac.nz - Read the guidance from the UOHEC website. Most importantly, determine whether your project requires review under the UOHEC or the UOHEC (Health). For a project to be considered by the Health Committee, the research should be health-related (e.g., observational or interventional studies) but not include current patients. When you enter your project into Conduit, you will need to know which committee applies, as this determines the exact form you will complete.
Read details on the Human Ethics Committees webpage - Go to Conduit and enter the details of your project*, BUT DO NOT PRESS SUBMIT. If you are unsure which ethics committee your project falls under (after reading the guidelines), Conduit will help guide you as you work through the online form.
Link to the Conduit sign-in page - When you have entered all of the required information for review into Conduit, email the DPH Ethics Committee to let them know your application is ready for review. DO NOT PUSH SUBMIT or your application will be rejected: all research needs DPH ethical and scientific peer review prior to submission.
Email psm.ethics@otago.ac.nz - Two members of the DPH Ethics committee will review your application. Their assessment will be sent back to you (via the Chair) for your response.
- Respond to the review on the review document and make any edits directly in your Conduit application, as required. Department ethics committee members can see the ethics application in its draft form, which means that you can edit it in response to their queries and suggestions. DO NOT PRESS SUBMIT. If you do, the application will need to be ‘rejected’ and resubmitted to allow further editing.
- Email your responses (including reference to any changes made to the application in Conduit) to the Chair of the DPH Ethics committee for final sign off.
Email psm.ethics@otago.ac.nz - Once you receive the approved and signed review document, upload it into Conduit as evidence of peer review.
- Now press SUBMIT to formally lodge your ethics application.
* Note that, Conduit requires a full protocol only for Minimal Risk and Health applications. However, the DPH ethics committee requires a protocol for all applications. This is because the protocol often contains essential information that supports both the scientific peer and ethics review, which may not be captured in the Conduit form alone. You can attach the protocol as an ‘other document’ in Conduit. Including a protocol provides a much clearer description of your work and reduces the need for follow-up communication or clarification required by the reviewers.
Please email if you have any queries.
Email psm.ethics@otago.ac.nz