Ethical human research

About CSIRO's human research

CSIRO's human research can be grouped into two main categories:

1. Social and interdisciplinary research – this research typically involves engagement with individuals and communities, both within Australia and overseas, to explore the connections between natural, agricultural, industrial and urban ecosystems and social and economic processes. It also includes research to understand stakeholder perspectives on climate change, future scenarios regarding emerging energy technologies, and studying human and technology interactions for the purpose of developing new information technology tools and communication platforms.
2. Health and medical research – this research includes clinical intervention trials examining the effectiveness of diet and lifestyle programs, the health and nutritional benefits of food components and consumer food choice, piloting of innovative electronic applications within hospitals and residential settings, and DNA analysis to predict disease risk profiles within the population.

Compliance with national standards

All human research undertaken by CSIRO must comply with the values, principles, governance and review processes specified in the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (updated 2018) and any relevant state and national legislative requirements such as the Privacy Act (1988). This includes ensuring that any research we do is justified by its potential benefit and is conducted by qualified staff using appropriate methods and resources.

It also commits the organisation and its staff to showing due regard for the privacy, welfare, beliefs, customs and cultural heritage of those involved in our research and their capacity to make their own decisions.

Further information

Further information about human research ethics in CSIRO and what you can expect as a participant in a CSIRO research project can be found in the Human Research Ethics in CSIRO brochure PDF (207 KB).