The four-year project will address a critical gap in the AI research landscape.
The Australasian Institute of Digital Health will join with other health partners as part of the $2.2 million, four-year national research initiative aimed at strengthening the ethical review of AI-related health research.
The Research Ethics Plus AI (REP-AI) project has been awarded funding through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Partnership Projects scheme and partner contributions.
Led by Professor Stacy Carter from the University of Wollongong, the project will focus on refining, testing and scaling practical solutions to help human research ethics committees, research governance units and data access committees to evaluate and oversee AI-related health research.
It will address a critical gap in the AI research landscape: the need for high-quality research ethics review for AI-related research.
The project’s research team also includes Dr Lisa Eckstein (Bellberry, University of Tasmania), Professor Farah Magrabi (Macquarie University), Dr Yagiz Alp Aksoy (NSW Health, University of Sydney), and Senior Professor Annette Braunack-Mayer and Dr Yves Saint James Aquino (University of Wollongong).
Anja Nikolic, AIDH’s CEO, said the institute was committed to advancing ethical digital health practices through collaborative research.
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“Ethical and transparent approaches to AI-related health research are essential to sustaining trust and delivering value in healthcare,” Ms Nikolic said.
“Digital health systems are evolving rapidly, and governance structures must evolve with them. AIDH supports research that equips the sector to respond to this challenge responsibly.
“This project aligns with our mission to support digital health initiatives that ultimately improve health outcomes for individuals and communities.”
The REP-AI project has secured over $2.2 million in combined NHMRC and partner contributions.
Project partners also include Alfred Health, Bellberry Limited, Southern Adelaide LHN, the Medical Technology Association of Australia, the NSW Ministry of Health, Research Australia, and the Population Health Research Network.