External Researchers
Dawson College has an interest in supporting collaborative research activity that involves researchers from other institutions.
While being supportive of external research, the College recognizes that students have been entrusted to Dawson for their own personal education, and considers this its primary focus. All research must align with priorities outlined in the Dawson College Strategic Plan and the Strategic Research Plan, and must comply with Dawson policies and procedures where applicable.
It is expected that research led by external investigators will not have a negative impact on students, staff, or College resources.
Institutional Approval
All research projects, whether they involve human participants or not, must be reviewed and approved by the Academic Dean and/or delegate(s) prior to taking place at the College. Research projects involving human participants must also obtain ethics approval from Dawson’s Research Ethics Board (REB).
While the ethics review looks at potential ethical concerns, the institutional review process looks at the degree of feasibility of the project at the College, ensures that the College has the resources to support the proposed research, and ensures that the project is relevant to and aligns with College priorities.
How to Submit an Institutional Approval Request
To request institutional approval, please send the following documents to the research officer for review:
- Detailed description of your research project including:
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- the name, affiliation and contact information of the principal investigator and all collaborators;
- a detailed description of the objectives, methodology and anticipated outcome of the project;
- a description of the impact on Dawson and the potential benefits to the Dawson community.
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- Grant application if your research is funded.
- Ethics certification from your home institution if your research involves human participants or their data.
For research involving human participants, the REB Application Form may be used to submit an institutional approval request.
Common Questions
The role of the Dawson Research Ethics Board (REB) is to ensure research is conducted in compliance with the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS) and the Dawson College Policy on the Ethical Conduct of Research Involving Humans.
The institutional review is required to ensure that Dawson resources (e.g., staff and faculty time, space) are being used effectively, and to evaluate whether proposed research is consistent with Dawson’s values and mission.
Yes. Your research project must be approved by the Academic Dean prior to you conducting any research that uses College facilities or resources.
Please contact the research officer for an initial assessment and to discuss the anticipated needs of your project.
The Academic Dean’s evaluation process can take up to 6 weeks, and the REB evaluation process can take several months to be completed. We suggest starting the application process no later than 6 months prior to your desired start date if it requires an ethics review.
