Frequently Asked Questions

• 1. How do I log on to start the REB application process?

  The online forms can be accessed through the IRIS Faculty and Staff Login

  • Click on Ontario Tech Faculty and Staff
  • Log In
  • Click on IRIS Research Portal (you’ll need to scroll down)

  Click on Apply New and you’ll find various applications online including:

  • The Standard Application Form
  • Multi-Jurisdictional Form
  • Exemption from Research Form
  • Change and Amendment Form

  Click on the one you want and you’re good to go.

• 2. If I need help with the new process where can I go?

  For help with the content to be filled out for the application form, an explanation is given for each block that needs to be completed or contact the Research Ethics Office at 905.721.8668 x. 3693 or email researchethics@ontariotechu.ca.

  For technical support, view the IRIS User Guide page.

• 3. How long does the ethics review process take?
  The Ontario Tech REB strives to have the Chair communicate the results of the review back to the researchers within 20–30 business days upon submission of the original ethics application. Some applications may take longer due to the additional information or clarifications that the Board may require.
• 4. Does the Ontario Tech REB have a submission deadline?

  The Ontario Tech REB does’t have a submission deadline, so you can submit your application at your convenience. If your application requires a full board review, these documents will be forwarded to the board members 10 days prior to the Board meeting date. The dates for the Board meetings are found on the home page.

• 5. Are there any sample templates I can see or use?

  The Ontario Tech REB website has samples and templates that you can modify for your study. You’ll find these under Resources. Template language is available for your use. 

• 6. Where can I get help completing my application form?
  The Research Ethics Office is available by email (researchethics@ontariotechu.ca) or telephone (905.721.8668 ext. 3693) to answer questions or by appointment if you need one-on-one consultation. If you are a student, working with your supervisor on your application is strongly advised since your supervisor has much detailed information about research. The online tutorial outlining Canada's ethics guidelines, the Tri-Council Policy Statement 2014 (TCPS), helps you as you prepare to do your research.
• 7. Can someone come and speak to my class about research ethics?
  Yes, the Research Ethics Office would be happy to make a presentation or speak to your class about research ethics. Please contact the Research Ethics Office at researchethics@ontariotechu.ca or 905.721.8668 ext. 3693 to set up a time.
• 8. I need access to some of my funding to begin my research and need ethics clearance for release of some funds. The phase of my research involving human participants doesn't begin for another year. Can funds for start-up be released in advance?
  Please contact the Grants Development team in the Office of Research Services for assistance on accessing the funds.
• 9. In my course, my students will have projects involving research with humans. Can I submit one application for the entire class?

  Yes. A course-based application for instructors who teach undergraduate and graduate courses where students engage in minimal risk research projects with human participants would need to be completed. It’s found within the IRIS Faculty and Staff Login. The online application form should guide you through it or contact the Research Ethics Office at 905.721.8668 ext. 3693 or at researchethics@ontariotechu.ca to talk about your course projects. Since different instructors set different projects for their students, course-based clearance is granted to the instructor of each course.

• 10. I am a co-investigator at Ontario Tech with research colleagues at other universities. Where do we get ethics clearance first?

  The principal investigator (PI) first obtains ethics clearance at their home institution. Since you are not the PI, you should submit a full copy of the PI's cleared application package (i.e., application form and supporting documents), communication between the PI and the other institution’s REB and that REB's clearance letter or clearance certificate. Along with that documentation, you complete Ontario Tech’s Multiple Jurisdiction Review (MJR) application form online (available at the IRIS Faculty and Staff Login) and submit it, in order to obtain approval at Ontario Tech. All the documentation from the other institution is to be labelled as Appendix A, Appendix B, etc. and uploaded with the completion of the MJR. 

• 11. How can I make a change to my research that has already been cleared by Ontario Tech’s REB?
  The Change Request Form for revisions or amendments to the originally cleared protocol can be found at the IRIS Faculty and Staff Login. Instructions on completion are found in the form which is submitted online. The REB Chair reviews the Change Requests; these requests have a shorter turn-around time.
• 12. Do I need to read the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS)?
  It is extremely valuable to become familiar with Canada's national Research Ethics Policy, the one that Canadian universities, colleges and hospitals have adopted as their guidelines for research with humans. Please contact the Research Ethics Office (researchethics@ontariotechu.ca or 905.721.8668 ext. 3693) if you would like help interpreting these guidelines.
• 13. Do I need to take the Panel on Research Ethics “Course on Research Ethics” (CORE) online tutorial?

  The Ontario Tech REB requires all researchers to have completed the CORE online tutorial and provide evidence of its completion (or equivalent) before research can begin. In addition, some course instructors make it mandatory for their students to complete the Course on Research Ethics before they can begin research.

• 14. Do I need to give participants an information letter and consent form?

  The Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS) outlines ways to obtain informed consent. A signed written consent form is not always the best method for obtaining consent in all situations. Oral consent is an appropriate and sometimes more respectful way to obtain consent from some populations. All studies need to document consent, and most studies do ask participants to read and keep a letter of information and/or sign a consent form. A sample template is available on the Resources tab.

• 15. If I am applying for a grant, when should I submit my ethics application?

  If you are applying to a funding agency like NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR, and most other major founders, you don't need to submit an ethics application until after you have been awarded the grant.

• 16. I will only be doing naturalistic observation or interviewing close friends or family. Do I need ethics review?
  If you plan to do naturalistic observation in a public place that does not allow for the identification of the participants, isn't staged by the researcher, and is non-intrusive, ethics review is not normally required. If you are interviewing friends and family as part of your research, you need ethics clearance. Consulting with the Research Ethics Office (researchethics@ontariotechu.ca or 905.721.8668 ext. 3693) is the best way to work out the particular details of your study.
• 17. I’m part of a small group of students who are going to do some research with human participants. Do we use the standard application form or can our instructor submit a course application on our behalf?
  It depends on the project. The instructor can submit a course application for similar minimal risk student projects that they have set as part of a course assignment to learn about research ethics etc. If you are proposing a separate project and one that poses greater than minimal risk, then you and your fellow students need to submit the standard application form under the signature of your instructor. Get in touch with the Research Ethics Office (researchethics@ontariotechu.ca or 905.721.8668 ext. 3693) for advice.
• 18. I would like to do a research project in the local district schools but I don't know the procedure for doing so.

  Before you can do research in local district schools, you need ethics clearance from Ontario Tech's REB first. Once obtained, you must apply to the school board's Research Advisory Committee (or similar committee) where you intend to conduct your research. School boards will not permit access to their schools or students without these clearances. Because you need to go through an additional review process make sure you leave enough time to obtain both clearances. Contact the Research Ethics Office (researchethics@ontariotechu.ca or 905.721.8668 ext. 3693) for advice.

• 19. What is the best way to obtain consent to audio record or video tape my research?

  There are many ways to enact this; this exact wording doesn't have to be adopted here, but the choice to have the participant audio or video taped or not should be offered explicitly. This way the participant thinks about the choice and you have documentation of their consent to be taped. On the consent form, just before the place for the signature of the participant, you can ask:

  I agree to participate in the research study by participating in a research interview.

  Further,
  A) I agree to the taping of the interview _______
  B) I prefer that the interview not be taped _______