Departments of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs Human Research Ethics Committee

The Departments of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs Human Research Ethics Committee (DDVA HREC) is the institutional Human Research Ethics Committee for the Department of Defence (Defence) and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA). The Committee is registered with the National Health and Medical Research Council and is responsible for the expert review of human research proposals that are submitted for ethical review. The committee in constituted in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research and the DDVA HREC Researcher and Administrative Guidelines. The Committee currently has 19 appointed members, with the majority of members being external to Defence and DVA. Members are appointed by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force and the Chief Operating Officer, DVA. The Committee reports annually to the National Health and Medical Research Council and to the Vice Chief of the Defence Force and the Chief Operating Officer at DVA in accordance with the Committee’s Terms of Reference. The Committee is accountable to the Surgeon General Australian Defence Force and the Repatriation Commission and the Military and Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission.