Western recently partnered with the University of Waterloo to streamline research ethics processes and shorten turnaround times for multi-site research.
The new process currently applies to collaborative research projects with Waterloo. Researchers are to submit one human ethics application through Western’s online research ethics board (REB) management system, after which the office of Human Research Ethics will inform Waterloo’s REB of the requirement for a coordinated review. Each of the ethics review boards will work together to simultaneously review the application and provide coordinated comments.
This change eliminates the need for consecutive human ethics reviews by each institution, reducing turnaround times. In the process, it reduces redundancies and ensures consistency of recommendations between institutions. All research, regardless of risk level, is eligible for the Waterloo-Western review process.
