Ethics Review Process and Forms

Anyone who wishes to conduct research involving human participants, as defined in the TCPS 2 (2022), at or under the auspices of Dawson College must submit a request for ethical acceptability from the Dawson Research Ethics Board (REB).

Research ethics review is required for:

Dawson researchers and researchers from other institutions who wish to conduct research activities at Dawson College or recruit human participants at Dawson College.
Dawson researchers under the auspices of Dawson College who wish to conduct research with human participants external to the College.

Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions page for information on research activities exempt from ethics review.

Note

Dawson researchers conducting research outside of Dawson must obtain ethics certification prior to contacting the institution where they wish to conduct their study.

External researchers must obtain an ethics certificate from their REB of reference before submitting an ethics application to the Dawson REB.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. However, the REB does not meet or review applications during the summer months.

Once a REB application is received, the REB Coordinator will conduct an administrative review to ensure that the application form is complete and that all relevant supporting documents have been included. If there are any items missing or the application is not complete, the application will be returned to the researcher with recommendations for revision.

Once all required documentation and/or revisions have been received, the application will then undergo a preliminary REB review and be assigned a delegated or full board review, depending on the risk level.

Initial REB Application Form

REB Application Form The REB application package, which includes the REB application form and all relevant appendixes or documents (e.g., grant application, notice of award, ethics certificate from REB of reference, questionnaires, surveys, recruitment materials, etc.), must be submitted by e-mail.Researchers are asked to ensure that all fields in the application form are completed before submitting it to the REB for review. Incomplete applications will be returned and may cause delays in the review process. If the questions on the application form do not address the particular context of your research study, feel free to expand in the comment sections of the application form. It is recommended that applications be submitted at least 4 months prior to any time-sensitive deadlines as review turnaround times may vary depending on the availability of reviewers, the volume of applications received by the REB, the level of risk associated with the research project, and whether revisions are required.In addition, institutional approval will also be required for external applicants and projects not administered by the Dawson Research Office. Please contact the Research Office Coordinator for information on the institutional review process.

Minimal Risk Multijurisdictional Research Form

If your study is deemed minimal risk and one of the following situations applies, you do not need to fill out an entirely new application form to seek an ethics approval from the REB at Dawson. Instead, please e-mail rebapply@dawsoncollege.qc.ca for a Minimal Risk Multijurisdictional Form.

- The principal investigator (PI) is affiliated with an institution other than Dawson College, but participants will be recruited at Dawson College exclusively.
- The PI is affiliated with an institution other than Dawson College, but participants will be recruited at Dawson College and other institutions.
- The PI is employed by Dawson College, but the project is carried out to fulfill a requirement for a degree that will be issued by an institution other than Dawson, and participants will be recruited at Dawson college.

Amendment Application Form

Amendment Request FormAny proposed changes to an approved research project (e.g., change of PI, addition of members to the research team, changes to the consent form, research methodology, dissemination strategy, etc.) must be approved by the REB prior to implementation.

Continuing Ethics Review Form - Annual Report

Continuing Review FormEthics approval is generally granted for a period of one year. Towards the end of this one year period, researchers are required to submit an annual report at least one month before the ethics expiration date.It is the responsibility of the researcher to maintain ethics approval throughout the life of the study. Consequences of not maintaining ethics approval may result in the termination of ethical oversight. Consequences pertaining to the termination of ethical oversight include (but are not limited to) the suspension of research funds, and/or the suspension or termination of research activities.

Study Closure Form - Final Report

Study Closure FormWhen a study has been completed a final report must be submitted within one month of the study’s completion date.