Fair Work backs dismissal of researcher over ethics breaches
Fair Work upheld the dismissal of a Newcastle professor over ethics breaches in a cannabis research project affecting 140 patients.
The Fair Work Commission rejected Dr Pradeep Tanwar's claim of unfair dismissal. The University of Newcastle fired him over a cannabis cancer research project with serious ethics breaches.
An investigation found that more than 140 patients did not get information sheets, over 100 did not sign consent forms, and more than 30 signed forms afterward. Dr Tanwar was the director of the Global Centre for Gynaecological Disease and was ultimately responsible for making sure ethics rules were followed.
The university paid $8 million of a $14 million funding loss, destroyed all research tissue samples, closed the research centre, and 14 students lost their supervisors. Two students left their PhD programs entirely.
The Commission found the conduct was not harsh, unjust or unreasonable. Dr Tanwar said the university could have offered better training and systems instead of firing him.
- More than 140
- Patients without information sheets
- Eight serious, two minor
- Research breaches found
- $8 million of $14 million
- University funding loss
- 14
- Students who lost supervisors
Why it mattersThis creates a legal rule on researcher responsibility. It applies when patient consent is not given, even if researchers claim they are not responsible.
AustraliaSignals stricter enforcement of research ethics in Australian universities and what penalties researchers face for consent failures.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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