What is an amendment?
An amendment is required when changes are proposed to a research project that has already received ethics approval. Amendments may be submitted at any time before the project's approval expiry date. Please note that amendment applications cannot be considered once a project’s ethics approval has expired.
When is an amendment required?
An amendment must be submitted when changes affect any aspect of the approved project, including:
- Change of project title, research personnel, research site.
- Extension or change of project dates.
- Modifications to the approved protocol.
- Changes to methods or interventions (e.g. survey instruments).
- Participant information sheets and consent forms.
- Questionnaires/Interview guides.
- Recruitment materials.
If you are unsure whether a proposed change requires an amendment, contact the research ethics office before submitting.
Extension requests and expiry dates
Extension requests must be submitted before the current ethics approval expires. If the approval has already lapsed, the system may not allow the extension request to be processed. To avoid disruptions to your research project, please submit any extension requests well before the expiry date.
Application process
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Step 1: Complete the amendment application form
Download and complete the amendment application form. Include a clear description of all proposed changes.
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Step 2: Create an amendment application in Pure
Log in to Pure.
Under ‘Ethical Review’, select ‘Amendment‘ to complete the following:
- Title: Title of the project. Ensure the title entered in Pure matches the HREA documentation.
- HREA Application ID: Enter the HREA Application ID of the original application associated with this amendment application.
- Submission date: Amendment application submission date.
- Persons: "Add Person" - Ensure all members of the research team are entered in Pure, including external collaborators and student researchers. A Bond University staff member must be listed as the chief investigator. The originally approved and listed chief investigator should remain in the system unless there has been an approved change of the chief investigator. Please note that automated correspondence and approval letters are sent only to the chief investigator recorded in the system.
- Add managing organisational unit: Faculty
- Add documentation: Completed amendment application form and any supporting documents relevant to the application (If uploading multiple files, combine them into a ZIP folder) and upload under ‘HREA Omni File’.
For updated documents, provide:
- A tracked-changes version showing amendments.
- A clean version with changes accepted.
âš Applications submitted without both versions may be returned for revision and processing may be delayed.
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Step 3: Submit for review
Quick Checklist
Before submitting, confirm that you have:
- Completed the application form in full and ensure the chief investigator has signed all forms.
- Entered the correct HREA.
- Included the chief investigator in the research team.
- Uploaded all supporting documents, including tracked and clean versions of all amended documents and combine multiple files into a ZIP folder (if applicable).
Change the application status to ‘Under Review’ and select ‘Save’.
This notifies the research ethics office that your amendment application is ready for assessment.
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After submission
- The research ethics office will undertake an initial compliance review.
- Additional information may be requested if required.
- Amendment applications are reviewed outside of the standard meeting cycle.
- Applicants will be advised of the outcome via email from [email protected].
- Do not continue research until you have received formal written confirmation of approval.
Researchers remain responsible for:
- Ensuring that all information provided in the amendment application is accurate and complete.
- Complying with any applicable data custodian, legislative, regulatory, or contractual requirements.
- Managing and storing research data in accordance with Bond University policies and procedures.
- Monitoring the project throughout its lifecycle to ensure it continues to meet the conditions under which the approval was granted.
Please note: Researchers may submit a maximum of five (5) amendments to an approved ethics application. Once this limit has been reached, any further changes will require the submission of a new ethics application for review and approval.