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Multi-jurisdictional Research in Canada and/or other Countries

SOP Title: 200: REB Operations
Version Number: REB SOP 206 Multi-jurisdictional Research in Canada and/or other Countries
Version Date: November 12th, 2012
Approval Date: November 12th, 2012
Approved By: REB

1.0 Purpose

This section describes the standard operating procedures for the initial and ongoing review of multi-jurisdictional research when another institution is considering, or has already granted, approval for the research to occur.

2.0 General Procedure Statement

As per the Tri-council Policy Statement:  Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS2), Article 8.1, “The institution remains responsible for the ethical acceptability and ethical conduct of research undertaken within its jurisdiction or under its auspices irrespective of where the research is conducted.”
Thus, the REB is responsible for reviewing and evaluating research that involves, but is not limited to, the following situations:

  1. a research project conducted by a team of researchers affiliated with different institutions;
  2. several research projects independently conducted by researchers affiliated with different institutions, with data that will be combined at some point to form one overall research project;
  3. a research project conducted by a researcher affiliated with one institution, but that involves collecting data or recruiting participants at different institutions;
  4. a research project conducted by a researcher who has multiple institutional affiliations (e.g., two universities, a university and a college, a university and a hospital);
  5. a research project conducted by a researcher at one institution that requires the limited collaboration of individuals affiliated with different institutions or organizations (e.g., statisticians, lab or X-ray technicians, social workers, teachers);
  6. a research project that is conducted in another province, territory or country.

3.0 Responsibility and Authority

The Chair, Vice-Chair and the REB Administration are responsible for executing this policy.

4.0 Specific Procedures

4.1   Eligible Canadian and Out-of-country Institutions

Multi-Jurisdictional research may include, but is not limited to, the following institutions:

  1. Universities and Colleges that have signed the Agreement*
  2. Schools (including universities and colleges that have not signed the Agreement)
  3. Community Organizations
  4. Industry Partners (e.g., General Motors of Canada Limited, Veridian and Lallemand Inc., and pharmaceutical companies)
  5. Government Branches (e.g., Department of National Defense and Health Canada)
  6. Hospitals
  7. Clinical Organizations (e.g., Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES))
  8. Independent and Private REBs (e.g., IRB Services and Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board)

*These universities and colleges are those that have entered into the Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions with the three federal Agencies [the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)]. 

5.0 New Studies

5.1 Canadian Universities and Colleges with an Agreement

Approval already granted

Researchers who have already received REB approval from a Canadian university or college that has signed the Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions must submit the following to Ontario Tech’s REB:

  1. Original application (including appendices) and full approval from the other REB;  and
  2. Multi-jurisdictional Research (MJR): Academic form;  and
  3. TCPS2 On-line training certificate or an approved equivalent
The SOP for delegated (#204) or full board (#205) review will be followed.

Researchers must submit an application to Ontario Tech’s REB within one month of approval being awarded elsewhere. Failure to do so may result in the application not being reviewed

Approval not already granted

  1. Ontario Tech’s REB Application and appendices; and
  2. TCPS2 On-Line training certificate or an approved equivalent

The SOP for delegated (#204) or full board (#205) review will be followed.

5.2 All other institutions

If approval has been granted from any other institutions, researchers must submit the following:

  1. Original application (including appendices) and proof of approval from the other institution;  and
  2. Ontario Tech’s REB Application;  and
  3. TCPS2 On-line training certificate or an approved equivalent

The SOP for delegated (#204) or full board (#205) review will be followed.


Researchers must submit an application to Ontario Tech’s REB within one month of approval being awarded elsewhere. Failure to do so may result in the application not being reviewed

6.0 Research in Progress

In cases in which a researcher joins a study (in which Ontario Tech’s REB is not the Board of Record) after it has already begun, all of the following documents are to be submitted to Ontario Tech’s REB:

  1. Ontario Tech’s Research in Progress form;  and
  2. Original application (including appendices) and proof of approval from the other institutions;  and
  3. TCPS2 On-line training certificate or an approved equivalent;  and
  4. Any additional information, including:
    1. Description of unanticipated events
    2. Change requests and proof of approval
    3. Annual renewal applications and proof of approvals
    4. Closure forms
    5. Termination notifications

Researchers must submit an application to Ontario Tech’s REB within one month of joining the project. Failure to do so may result in the application not being reviewed

6.1 Conflicting Board requests

Researchers will go through the delegated review (REB SOP #204) or a full board review (REB SOP #205) process. Is some cases, it  may not be possible for researchers to make requested changes because another REB does not approve of the changes, the research is already in progress, and/or a sponsor or partner has placed restrictions on the study. In those cases, Ontario Tech’s REB Chair (or designate) will consider the reasons for the contested changes and related risks. He or she may take any of the following actions:

  1. Approve the study without requested changes;
  2. Discuss the issues with the other institution’s REB Chair;
  3. Discus the issues with the sponsor or partner that has placed restrictions on the study;
  4. Send the application to the full board for review