Our HREC fees
Bellberry’s fees are transparent and straightforward, so you know what to expect before you submit your study for review. Here’s our full fee schedule for new studies, amendments, and multi-centre trials.
Fees set independently from our committees
Bellberry’s fee structure is deliberately managed independently from our Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs).
Fees are set by our Board and CEO, and committee members have no visibility of the company’s financial statements or any involvement in fee decisions.
This separation ensures that fees have no influence on committee decision-making.
Fees cover the review, not outcomes
A fee is charged for the review of a research project, regardless of the outcome.
Fees cover the cost of providing expert ethical review of your research project, regardless of the committee’s decision. To be clear: Fees are charged for the review process, NOT the review decision. Fees remain payable in cases where a study is not approved by the HREC.
The review process — and the associated fee commitment — begins when you click ‘Submit’ in eProtocol.
How our fee schedule works
Our fees are broadly divided into four categories:
- New Protocol
- Major Amendment
- Minor Amendment
- Other Reporting
What New Protocol fees cover
The New Protocol review fee funds the cost of:
- Any pre-submission assistance
- The initial HREC review
- Post approval ongoing review of minor amendments and other reporting, including:
- Administrative changes (personnel updates, site name or address updates)
- PICF amendments
- Updates to other participant documents, such as recruitment and advertising material
- Safety reporting
- Serious breach notifications
- Progress and final reporting
- Site monitoring and desktop auditing
The following post-approval items incur additional fees:
- Protocol amendment
- Investigator’s Brochure amendment
- Substantial amendment
- Extension study
When fees may vary
Investigator-initiated studies
If you are an investigator funding your own research that is considered ‘greater than low risk’, contact us to discuss applicable fees before submitting for review.
Complex study designs
To ensure robust and high-quality HREC review, Bellberry allocates additional committee time for considering applications involving complex study designs, including master, umbrella, platform, basket and adaptive designs.
Where a complex design study includes multiple protocols and investigator brochures in a single submission, the committee will review the application across multiple agenda items. Consequently, the review fee is determined based on the phase of the included protocols and the number of agenda items involved.
We encourage researchers and sponsors to discuss complex design study applications with us before submission wherever possible.
Schedule of HREC Fees (as at January 2026)*
*Bellberry reserves the right to alter these fees at any time.
| Item | Current Fee* (ex. GST) | Current Fee* (inc. GST) |
|---|---|---|
| New Protocols | – | – |
| New HREC Review Application | $6,750 | $7,425 |
| New Phase 1 HREC Review Application | $9,250 | $10,175 |
| Multi-Centre Applications | $3,750 | $4,125 |
| Extension Study (initial study previously approved by Bellberry) | $3,750 | $4,125 |
| Low Risk Review | $3,750 | $4,125 |
| Major Amendments | – | – |
| Protocol Amendment (per version) | $950 | $1,045 |
| Investigator's Brochure Update (per version) | $950 | $1,045 |
| Substantial Amendment | $6,750 | $7,425 |
| Minor Amendments | – | – |
| Administrative Change | Nil | Nil |
| PICF Amendment | Nil | Nil |
| Updating to other participant documents (Recruitment/advertising) | Nil | Nil |
| Decentralised Trial per 'teletrial' site | $350 | $385 |
| Other Reporting | – | – |
| Safety Reporting | Nil | Nil |
| Serious Breach Notification | Nil | Nil |
| Progress Reporting | Nil | Nil |
| Final Reporting | Nil | Nil |
| Application Reactivation | $1000 | $1,100 |
New Protocols
Current Fee* (ex.GST)
–
Current Fee* (inc.GST)
–
New HREC Review Application
Current Fee* (ex.GST)
$6,750
Current Fee* (inc.GST)
$7,425
Low Risk Review
Current Fee* (ex.GST)
$3,750
Current Fee* (inc.GST)
$4,125
Major Amendments
Current Fee* (ex.GST)
–
Current Fee* (inc.GST)
–
Application Reactivation
Current Fee* (ex.GST)
$1000
Current Fee* (inc.GST)
$1,100
Further information on fees can be found in our Application Fees
Applications made via REGIS must include the REGIS submission HREC fee form. See REGIS submissions for more information.
Ready to start or need advice?
If you’d like to speak with a Bellberry team member about your study or need help preparing an application, our customer service specialists are here to assist.
