How to submit an ethics exemption application

What is an ethics exemption?

An ethics exemption is a determination that a project meets the criteria for exemption from ethical review under the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025).

Research activities must not commence until written confirmation of exemption has been issued by the Bond University Human Research Ethics Committee.

When should I apply for an exemption?

An exemption application may be appropriate where a project:

  • Uses existing data or information that has been fully de-identified before it is provided to the research team, and there is no intention or reasonable possibility of identifying individuals from that data.
  • Uses information that is publicly available through a legislated or regulated source, such as government databases, registries, or official statistics.
  • The project poses no physical, psychological, cultural, social, or economical risk to participants or the community.

Educational and training activities: Research conducted solely for educational or training purposes, where the outcomes are used only within the relevant course or program, may not require ethics review. However, where there is an intention to publish or otherwise disseminate findings beyond the course or program, researchers should submit an exemption application for assessment.

Further information can be found in Section 5.1.15–5.1.17 of the National Statement.

If you are unsure whether your project qualifies for an exemption, contact the research ethics office before applying.

Research not eligible for exemption

Research that falls outside the exemption categories described in the National Statement will generally require ethical review. This includes research that:

  • Involves identifiable or potentially re-identifiable information, data, or human biospecimens.
  • Involves direct interaction, intervention, or treatment allocation involving participants.
  • Collects personal or sensitive information, or information that may place participants at risk of harm, distress, burden, disadvantage, or discomfort.
  • Requires a waiver of consent or another determination by the HREC.
  • Presents risks beyond those contemplated by the exemption categories.
     

Please note: Research involving the use of personal information without consent is not eligible for exemption because a waiver of consent must be considered and approved by an appropriate ethics review body.

Application process

Step 1: Complete the exemption application form

Download and complete the exemption application form.

Provide sufficient details to demonstrate how the project qualifies for exemption.

When saving your application, please use the following file naming convention: Surname_Exemption Application Form_Submission Date

Step 2: Create an exemption application in Pure

Log in to Pure.

Under ‘Ethical Review’, select ‘Exemption‘ to complete the following:

  • Title: Title of the project. 
  • Submission date: Exemption 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 (select only one person as Chief Investigator).
  • Add managing organisational unit: Faculty
  • Add documentation:  Completed exemption application form and any supporting documents relevant to the exemption request (If uploading multiple files, combine them into a ZIP folder) and upload under ‘HREA Application Bundle’.
Step 3: Submit for review

Quick Checklist

Before submitting, confirm that you have:

  • Completed the exemption application form.
  • Uploaded all supporting documents and combined multiple files into a ZIP folder (if applicable).
  • Included the chief investigator in the research team.

Change the application status to ‘Under Review’ and select ‘Save’.

This notifies the research ethics office that your ethics application is ready for assessment.

After submission
  • The research ethics office will undertake an initial compliance review.
  • A reference number will be allocated.
  • Additional information may be requested if required.
  • Exemption applications are reviewed outside of the standard committee meeting cycle.
  • Applicants will be advised of the outcome via email from [email protected].
  • Do not commence research until you have received formal written confirmation of exemption

Researchers remain responsible for:

  • Ensuring that all information provided in the 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: If the nature, scope, methodology, data sources, participant population, or risk profile of a project changes, the exemption may no longer apply, and further ethics review may be required.