Defence FOI 734 23 24 Document.pdf

FOI 734/23/24 - Document
BN71517592
MINUTES OF THE 60th MEETING OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF DEFENCE
AND VETERANS’ AFFAIRS HUMAN RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE
(DDVA HREC) EC00460
HELD AT s47E(d)
CANBERRA ACT 2600
ON 05 FEBRUARY 2024
Attendees:
Dr Tony Cotton, AM
Chair
Mr Chris Gardiner
Deputy Chair
Mr Tim Robb*
Community/consumer perspective
Ms Terri Lourey*
Community/consumer perspective
Dr Carl Bryant*
Professional care/counselling
Revd Dr Nikki Coleman*
Pastoral care
Mrs Amelia Thorpe*
Lawyer
Prof Gerry Fitzgerald*
Researcher
Dr Jane Harte*
Researcher
Ms Sarah Watson*
Contemporary veteran
Secretariat:
s47E(c)
Assistant Director Research Ethics
Staff Officer 1 Human Research Ethics
Observers:
s47E(c)
*
Acting Assistant Director Research Services
(Department of Veterans’ Affairs)
*Attendance via teleconference
ITEM 1 – OPENING
1.01– Opening & Acknowledgment of Country
1.
The meeting opened at 1409 hours. The Chair welcomed members and s4
7E
( )
2.
The Chair acknowledged and paid respects to the Indigenous custodians of
Country throughout Australia, their culture and Elders past, present and future.
3.
s47E(c)
introduced s47E(c) to members.
1.02 – Meeting Recorded
4.
The meeting is recorded for the purpose of transcribing of the minutes, and
the audio recording will be deleted once the minutes are finalised.

FOI 734/23/24 - Document

FOI 734/23/24 - Document
s47C & s47E(d)

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ITEM 6 – COMPLAINTS (3)
s47E(d)

26.
The Committee noted that s47E( complaints have been received. Refer to
s47E(d)
for further information.

ITEM 7 – PROGRESS AND FINAL REPORTS
27.
The Committee noted the following:
a.
Twenty-seven Final Reports were received. Eighteen were approved and one
researcher was advised that a progress report and request for extension of
ethics approval was required. Eight Final Reports are currently under review.
b.
Fifty-seven Progress Report were received. Forty-five have been approved
and 12 are under review.
c.
Twenty-four progress reports are due by the end of March 2024.

ITEM 8 – MATTERS FOR NOTING
28.
The Committee noted the following:
a.
Six new applications were reviewed out-of-session, five new applications
were received and responses to the administrative review are pending. A
request for further information has been sent for s47E(d)
since the
meeting papers were circulated.
b.
Twenty-three resubmissions were reviewed out-of-session and nine
resubmissions are pending (including s47E(d)
).
c.
Three deviations were reported.
d.
Ethics approval was withdrawn for one project, as per the outcomes of the
previous meeting Minutes.
e.
Twenty-one amendments were reviewed. The amendments to s47E(d)

have been approved since the meeting papers were
circulated.
f.
Thirty-six extensions to the period of ethics approval were received. An
extension fors47E(d)  has been approved since the papers were circulated.
g.
Eight desktop audits were conducted.
h.
Ethical approval has expired for six projects.
i.
There were no adverse events or serious adverse events reported.

FOI 734/23/24 - Document
ITEM 9 – OTHER BUSINESS
9.01 – E016/007 Veterans’ MATES Program
s47E(d)
30.
The Committee noted the following:
a.
s47E(d)
b.
The remit of the DDVA HREC approval is limited to research and does not
extend to the provision of health services under the Veterans’ MATES
Program.
c.
An internal review of the project file was conducted by the Secretariat
following the publication of an article in The Saturday Paper in late July
2023 and following receipt of a number of emails from individuals raising
concerns about the use of their data in the Veterans’ MATES program. This
resulted in correspondence being sent to the Principal Investigator and DVA
seeking clarification on a number of matters. This has resulted in responses
being provided by the research team and DVA. The latest correspondence –
the data management plan, aims to address concerns that have previously
been raised by the Committee.
d.
s47E(d)
31.
The Committee agreed that the response has not adequately addressed the
concerns that were raised.
32.
The Committee discussed the parameters of consent for the use of DVA
administrative data for research purposes as follows:
a.
s47E(d)

FOI 734/23/24 - Document