News and insights

Welcome to Bellberry’s blog. Here we publish commentary, updates, feature posts and thought leadership on research ethics, regulation, participant experience and system change. Discover what’s happening across the research and ethics landscape in Australia and beyond.

Apr 30, 2026

Impact Report 2025

We’re proud to share Bellberry’s 2025 Impact Report – our first report bringing together key insights, data and achievements from the past year. Our stories from 2025 highlight how we continue to support ethical research and promote best practice across the sector, while giving back to the medical research community. This report reflects the collective […]

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Feb 17, 2026

2026 Podcast Season: More About NAMs

When a potential new medicine is tested on humans for the first time it is a milestone. It is thoroughly tested for safety before reaching this stage. Often, it’s tested on animals, but increasingly New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) are being used (previously known as Non-Animal Models). NAMs are non-animal or reduced-animal scientific methods used to […]

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Dec 23, 2025

Bellberry Newsletter – Summer 2025

Welcome to our newsletter for summer 2025. The Bell contains a roundup of the activities Bellberry has been involved with in the last few months, including awarding our Bellberry-Viertel Senior Medical Researcher, CT:IQ activities, Thought Leadership series update, our office relocation and more. If you have any feedback on our newsletter or any suggestions on […]

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Nov 12, 2025

2025/26 Bellberry-Viertel Fellow Announced

Last month at the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Gala Dinner in Canberra our new Bellberry-Viertel Fellow was announced! Congratulations to Associate Professor ZongYuan å®—å…ƒ Ge 戈 of Monash University who is a medical AI specialist. ZongYuan å®—å…ƒ Ge 戈 will use the five-year Fellowship to develop Australia’s first AI Unified Phenotype Foundation […]

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Sep 30, 2025

National Statement Updates 2025

The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research is the principal reference for research involving humans in Australia and is the guiding document for Human Research Ethics Committees. The National Statement is released by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and is periodically updated to stay relevant to evolving research practices, ethical […]

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Sep 30, 2025

Operations Update 28

In the September issue of our Operations Update please find articles on:    

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Sep 30, 2025

Bellberry User Satisfaction Survey

As Australia’s largest provider of Human Research Ethics Committee services, Bellberry places great value on understanding the experience our users have of our services.  Every two years we invite our users to share their feedback through our User Satisfaction Survey. It’s part of our goal to continuously improve what we do. Your feedback helps us […]

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Sep 30, 2025

International Research Administrators Day

Today, September 25, we celebrate International Research Administrators Day! This globally recognised day honours the contribution of Research Administrators in supporting and advancing research. Bellberry marked the occasion with a morning tea, a chance to come together and applaud the role our Operations team plays in our organisation’s contribution and impact. Their expertise and dedication […]

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Jun 12, 2025

NAMs workshop summary report released

We are pleased to release the summary report from the Bellberry & ASCEPT New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) Introductory Workshop, held in Melbourne, 30 Nov 2024. The report captures insights from regulators, ethicists, researchers, and industry leaders on how Australia can support the responsible use of NAMs to reduce reliance on animal models, improve translational outcomes, […]

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May 21, 2025

Clinical Trial Activity Report (CTAR) 2024

Report highlights international confidence in Australian clinical trials Global investment in Australian clinical trials is strong, with two thirds of Australian clinical trials, reviewed by Bellberry, funded by international companies according to its 2024 Clinical Trials Activity Report (CTAR). Bellberry is Australia’s largest ethics and scientific reviewer of research involving humans reviewing approximately 40% of […]

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May 21, 2025

Podcast Episode 12: From Lab to Life

Worldwide there is growing focus on using NAMs (Non-Animal Models also known as Novel Approach Methods) in the development of therapeutics. In other words, removing animals from pre-clinical testing. In this episode of From Lab to Life, we take you to a symposium hosted by Bellberry and ASCEPT (Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists […]

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Mar 11, 2025

Participant Engagement at Scientific Meetings

Bellberry is delighted to share details of our grant program to support participant engagement at scientific meetings. Conference organisers can apply to Bellberry for funding to create and/or enhance participant-centric programs to enable the participant voice to be represented and heard at their meetings. The program will make a real difference with the ultimate aim […]

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Feb 14, 2025

Podcast Episode 11: From Lab To Life

In 2004 Bellberry was founded as a paradigm breaker. We are an institutionally independent not-for-profit company that offers Human Research Ethics Committee services. Today Bellberry provides ethics reviews for more than 40% of the CTN clinical trials taking place in Australia and has re-invested $12 million into the research sector. In 2024 we celebrated 20 […]

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Nov 29, 2024

Bellberry wins National Award for Health!

We are delighted to share that Bellberry won the National Telstra Best of Business award in the Championing Health category in Melbourne last night, recognising our impact in the medical research sector. Initially 22,000 businesses were nominated, with seven chosen as national winners in their categories. We’re thrilled to be one of those seven. Bellberry […]

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Nov 26, 2024

Telstra Best of Business Award – National Finalist!

Bellberry CEO Kylie Sproston and Communications Manager Alison Rogers, are on their way to Melbourne today in preparation for their final pitch in the Telstra Best of Business Awards! Bellberry are delighted to have made the Finals in the Championing Health category of the awards. Congratulations to all the other businesses in the finals and […]

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