AIHW Ethics Committee First Nations Researcher

at  AIHW Australian Institute of Health Welfare

About the AIHW
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) provides reliable, regular and relevant information and
statistics on Australia’s health and welfare.
We are committed to providing high quality, national data and analysis across the health, housing and
community services sectors. This covers a wide range of areas, from health and welfare expenditure,
hospitals, disease and injury, disability and mental health, to ageing, disadvantaged and vulnerable
populations, homelessness, and Indigenous health and welfare.
Good governance is an important underpinning for our work. The AIHW Ethics Committee contributes
significantly to our governance arrangements, playing an important role in overseeing our work to ensure
that it is ethical and complies with legislated requirements for confidentiality and privacy. The Committee
provides valuable guidance to the AIHW on its expanding responsibilities for managing sensitive data on the
health and welfare of Australians in the context of an ‘open data’ approach that protects personal privacy
and the trust of the Australian community.
The composition of the Ethics Committee is prescribed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
(Ethics Committee) Regulations 2018, consistent with the requirements of the National Health and Medical
Research Council’s National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (National Statement). Membership
includes ‘at least one person with knowledge of, and current experience in, areas of research that are
regularly considered by the Ethics Committee’.
Position Summary
Expressions of interest are sought for appointment to the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Ethics Committee
In complying with its obligations under the National Statement, the AIHW and the Ethics Committee have
specific responsibilities related to the conduct of research involving or affecting First Nations Peoples. The
AIHW has therefore identified the need to appoint a committee member who is First Nations and with
specialist knowledge and expertise in First Nations health and welfare research. Accordingly, a vacancy on

the Committee exists for:

• First Nations Researcher

The main responsibility of the AIHW Ethics Committee is to consider the ethical acceptability or otherwise of
activities of the AIHW and associated persons and bodies. Further information can be found on the
Institute’s website: http://www.aihw.gov.au/ethics/
Membership is for a three-year term. The Committee meets nine times a year, with five of these meetings in
person in Canberra.

Remuneration is in accordance with a determination of the Remuneration Tribunal:

• Full meetings:

o Daily rate (for full meetings) is $886
o Travel and travel allowances are paid by AIHW

o Preparation time for full meeting: $856

• For the shorter meetings, the amount of a daily fee paid to an office holder for a meeting day is:

o if the office holder’s qualifying meeting daytime is less than 2 hours— 40% of the daily fee; or
o if the office holder’s qualifying meeting daytime is at least 2 hours and less than 3 hours—
60% of the daily fee; or
o otherwise—100% of the daily fee.
Selection Criteria

Applications should address the following selection:

• person who identifies as First Nations with sound knowledge of, and current experience in,

health and/or welfare related research involving or affecting First Nations Peoples

• understanding of the principles relating to privacy and research ethics
• ability to appreciate the interests of potential research participants and the potential risks and

benefits of research proposals, and to assess the balance between the two

• experience in working collaboratively on Committees or similar bodies
• sound appreciation of the National Statement and other ethical considerations relevant to

health research and information for First Nations Peoples

• ability to actively participate in and contribute to Committee discussions on research proposals

and related research ethics issues, and

• able to attend meetings in person and to participate in out-of-session consideration of

applications when required.
How to apply
If you wish to be considered for this position, please provide a one-page pitch and your CV by COB Thursday,
15 August 2024 to:
Ethics Committee Secretariat
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
GPO Box 570, Canberra ACT 2601
or by email to ethicssec@aihw.gov.au
Please contact Melinda Leake, Head Ethics and Privacy Unit, with enquiries, phone: (02) 6249 5106, email:
melinda.leake@aihw.gov.au

Please refer the Job description for details