Skip to main content

REB Terms of Reference

1. Terms of Reference

 The President is responsible for the implementation of Ontario Tech's Research Ethics Policy through the Research Ethics Board (REB). The Office of the Research Services provides support for the REB.

1.1 Responsibilities

  1. Developing policies regarding ethical issues relating to the use of human participants in research and teaching projects;
  2. Reviewing for ethical approval all projects requiring the use of human participants;
  3. Reviewing annually all policies regarding ethical issues relating to the use of human participants in research projects to ensure that policies remain current;
  4. Dealing with matters concerned with human-based research referred to the REB by the Associate Provost, Research of Ontario Tech.
  5. The Research Ethics Board shall provide an annual report on its activities to the President and Academic Council.
  6. Participating in continuing education organized by Ontario Tech researcher administrators for the university community in matters relating to research ethics and the use of human participants in research.

1.2 Composition

The REB shall be made up of no less than 6 members plus a non-voting secretary, including both men and women, and include at least:

  • One community representative with no formal affiliation with the university.
  • Four university members in different disciplines with broad expertise in the methods or in areas of research covered by the REB (research involving human participants or the use of human tissue).
  • One university member with broad knowledge in ethics or experience in the evaluation of ethical implications of research involving human participants. 

REB will have access to a legal expert (other than the university's legal counsel) knowledgeable in the applicable law.

The REB shall require a quorum of at least two thirds of its members at all meetings concerned with the ethical approval of research proposals, including the members in categories 1.2 a), b), and c) above.

The Chair will be elected by the REB, normally for two years.

REB members shall serve for three-year terms that normally may be renewed once. Initially, appointments shall range from two to four years to allow for continuity of membership when members are being changed.

The President shall appoint REB members on the advice of the Deans and the Associate Provost, Research. Members will be selected in accordance with the Tri-Council Policy Statement.

1.3 Meetings and Decision-Making

The REB shall meet at least once each month to review all proposals requiring human participants. All research receiving ethical approval through the expedited review process (See 2.6) will be reported to the Research Ethics Board by the Chair. Research not delegated to expedited review will be reviewed at the meeting, and the decision to grant ethical approval will be based on a vote. If a vote is not unanimous, the position of those disagreeing will be included in the communication to the researcher. In the event of a tie vote, the matter under consideration will be considered not passed.  An annual schedule of REB meetings will be published.

1.4 Authority

The university endorses the ethical principles cited in the Tri‐Council Policy Statement and has mandated its Research Ethics Board (REB) to ensure that all research investigations involving human participants are in compliance with the Statement.

The Ontario Tech REB will have jurisdiction over all research involving human participants as well as over all course‐based research or assignments that require students to collect information from human participants. All Ontario Tech research involving human participants including that of visiting and part‐time researchers, will proceed only after ethical approval has been granted by the REB. In addition to approving research, the Committee can reject, propose modifications to or terminate any proposed or on‐ going research.

See Also