External research applications are coordinated and managed between the researchers and the relevant Branch within the department.
The Evaluation and Insights (E&I) function can connect researchers with relevant representatives (sponsors) from specialist departmental program and policy areas. The sponsor’s role is to facilitate researchers' access to departmental resources and to support research translation to policy and practice.
The external research application (ERA) guideline and accompanying form can help you to access departmental resources, such as data, clients and staff, for the purposes of research.
To seek an introduction to a specific program or policy area, please email the E&I team at EvaluationandInsights@health.vic.gov.au.
Human Research Ethics Committee
Established in 1986, the Department of Health and Department of Families, Fairness, and Housing Human Research Ethics Committee (the Committee) reviews ethics applications for research conducted by or on behalf of the Department of Health and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
For more information on the committee, including how to make submissions and project guidelines, see Human Research Ethics Committee.
All student applications must be clearly indicated on the ERA form.
The chief investigator must be the student themselves. The nominated associate researcher must include your supervisor. The Centre will contact the nominated supervisors of student research applications if it is unable to reach the students directly.
If the research project is longer than 12 months, regular updates must be provided to the Centre by the student. At the completion of the research, student/s and their supervisor/s are responsible for providing the Centre with progress updates and research outputs.
All applications are assessed based on the benefits delivered to the department's clients and business, according to the following criteria:
- Alignment to one or more of the department’s strategic directions, reform areas or priority activities as outlined in the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Strategic Plan
- The benefits to the department gained from the activity
- The extent of resourcing (staff, facilitation, data access) required to support the activity
- The risks associated with supporting the activity
- Duplication of effort, coordination with similar or complimentary activities
- Dissemination strategy to provide evidence reports and tools to department staff and stakeholders.
The department supports activities that add value to the department's evidence base and can be applied to inform policy, program and service delivery directions. Applicants need to consider how they will deliver the findings of their evidence activity to relevant staff and stakeholders in the department, community service organisations, client groups and the community.
The external research application process is separate from the human research ethics committee (HREC) process. However, these two processes can occur simultaneously.
The Centre can provide conditional approval pending formal approval from HREC. Once the Centre has been provided with the HREC approval letter, it will issue a formal approval letter from the department.
More information
For more information and questions about the ERA process, email: EvaluationandInsights@health.vic.gov.au.