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Research Ethics at the Fort Garry Campus

The University of Manitoba (UM) is committed to protecting the rights and welfare of humans participating in research studies. All research projects involving humans and/or human biological materials conducted at, or under the auspices of the University of Manitoba, require prior ethics review and approval by a Research Ethics Board (REB).

Research Ethics Boards

There are two REBs at the Fort Garry Campus. The following departments/faculties are to submit their protocols to the appropriate REB as listed below.

Departments/Faculties Submitting to REB 1 

  • Asper School of Business
  • College of Nursing
  • Department of Psychology
  • Department of Sociology and Criminology
  • Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management
  • Faculty of Social Work
  • Student Counselling and Career Centre

Departments/Faculties Submitting to REB 2

  • Administrative Research 
  • Arthur V. Mauro Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
  • Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
  • Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources
  • Desautels Faculty of Music
  • Extended Education
  • Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
  • Faculty of Architecture
  • Faculty of Arts (except the departments of Psychology, and Sociology & Criminology)
  • Faculty of Education
  • Faculty of Science
  • Faculty of Law
  • Libraries
  • Price Faculty of Engineering
  • School of Art

REB 2 Membership List

Biomedical studies and studies from the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences (except from the College of Nursing) are administered through the Research Ethics Office at the Bannatyne Campus.

What You Need to Know Before Submitting to the REB

Considerable preparation is required before submitting your ethics protocol. The following information provides guidance on the documents required for your submission as well as additional consultations and approvals that you may need to seek before starting your research.

Note: Students and Post Doctoral Fellows require an Advisor/Supervisor to sign off on their protocol.

For detailed information on what is listed below, please see our Starter Guide.

Required Certifications

  • TCPS 2 Core Certificate
    • All team members interacting with participants and/or accessing raw data, whether those data are anonymous, anonymized, coded or identifiable, must complete TCPS2: CORE training and upload their Certificate of Completion to their RAS profile.
    • Course on Research Ethics (CORE)
  • UM Privacy Certificate of Completion/ UM Pledge of Confidentiality (if personal health information is collected)
    • All team members must complete the University of Manitoba's Privacy Training for Researchers.
    • Pledges must be signed by the researcher and the Access and Privacy Office.
    • For more information on this training please visit the Access and Privacy Office’s Website

Required Documents

The following documents are often required for protocol submissions. Relevant guidance documents and templates are available in the links below as well as in the Guidelines and Templates section of the webpage. 

  • Signed Oaths of Confidentiality
    • Principal Investigators, Co-Principal Investigators and Advisors do not need to sign an Oath of Confidentiality.
    • The research project title written in the oath must be consistent with the protocol title.
    • Oath of Confidentiality: UM Personnel Template
    • Oath of Confidentiality: Non-UM Personnel Template
  • Recruitment Material
    • Guidelines for Participant Recruitment
  • Consent Forms
    • Consent Form Template Fort Garry
  • Data Collection Tools
    • Data Storage Guidelines for Research with Human Participants
    • Virtual Platforms Guidelines

Consultations and Other Approvals

REB approval applies to the ethical acceptability of the research and does not, in itself, constitute authorization for the research to proceed (TCPS 2, Article 6.3, Application).


As you prepare your protocol submission, you must consider whether other consultations or approvals are required before your research can begin. Consider seeking any other approval processes before submitting to the REB for ethics review. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list.

  • Approvals from Indigenous communities or other organizations
  • Data or Material Sharing/Transfer Agreements (Research Contracts Office)
  • Research Agreements and Memorandum of Understanding (Research Contracts Office)
  • Archival approval
  • UM Information Security and Compliance (UM IST)
  • UM Survey Review Committee
  • Shared Health Research Impact Assessment
  • Provincial Health Research Privacy Committee Review (PHRPC)

Research Administration System

Protocol applications to REB 1 and REB 2 are submitted online through the Research Administration System (RAS). Please upload your CORE and PHIA (if applicable) certificates to your user profile in RAS as soon as possible as these are required for protocol submission.

Research Administration System website

For RAS assistance or to request a training session, contact ras_support@umanitoba.ca.

Research Ethics Board Review Process

Administrative Pre-Review

Overview: All submissions to the Office of Human Research Ethics undergo an initial administrative pre-review. This review ensures that the submission is ready for ethical review by the REB

Expected Timeline: Feedback from the Office of Human Research Ethics will be provided through the Research Administration System within one week.

Delegated Review

Overview: Minimal risk studies are sent for delegated review.

Definition: Minimal risk is “research in which the probability and magnitude of possible harms implied by participation in the research is no greater that those encountered by participants in the aspects of their everyday life that relate to the research.”

Deadlines: There are no deadlines for minimal risk studies. Protocols may be submitted at any time. 

Expected Timeline: The initial review process by the Research Ethics Board is typically three to six weeks

Revisions are reviewed by the Chair only. If the application is inconsistent and unorganized, the review process may take longer to be completed. To avoid undue delay, please complete the ethics submission carefully and thoroughly.

Note: Protocols that have not been approved by the REB within 1 year of submission must be withdrawn.  

Please see the Delegated Review Timeline for further details.

Delegated Review Timeline (PDF) 

Flowchart of the delegated Review Timeline from the administrative pre-review to final approval.

Full Board Review

Overview: Full board REB meetings are scheduled once a month to review studies that are more than minimal risk. Protocols that are more than minimal risk are reviewed by the whole REB.

Definition: Minimal risk is “research in which the probability and magnitude of possible harms implied by participation in the research is no greater that those encountered by participants in the aspects of their everyday life that relate to the research.” 

Deadlines: Protocols must be submitted at least three weeks before the REB meeting. Please note, the REBs do not meet in August.

Starting August 2024, REB 1 and REB 2 will have the same deadlines.

Please see the meeting schedules and protocol deadlines below for details.

Expected Timeline: The initial review process by the Research Ethics Board is typically three to six weeks

Revisions may be reviewed by the Chair only. If the application is inconsistent and unorganized, the review process may take longer to be completed.  To avoid undue delay, please complete the ethics submission carefully and thoroughly.

Note: Protocols that have not been approved by the REB within 1 year of submission must be withdrawn.  

Please see the Full Review Timeline for further details.

Full Review Timeline (PDF)

Flowchart of the Full Review timeline from the administrative pre-review to final approval.

Chair Review

Overview: Certain protocols may be reviewed by the REB Chair only. This includes:

  • Protocols that have been approved by the REB at another Canadian University 
  • Secondary Use protocols. "Secondary use refers to the use in research of information or human biological materials originally collected for a purpose other than the current research purpose" (TCPS 2, Article 2.4). 

Deadlines: There are no deadlines for Chair reviews. Protocols may be submitted at any time. 

Expected Timeline: Chair review is typically one week

Revisions are reviewed by the Chair only. If the application is inconsistent and unorganized, the review process may take longer to be completed. To avoid undue delay, please complete the ethics submission carefully and thoroughly.

Note: Protocols that have not been approved by the REB within 1 year of submission must be withdrawn. 

Full Board Meeting Schedules and Deadlines

The REBs have pre-scheduled meetings each month to review protocols that are deemed greater than minimal risk.

For studies deemed greater than minimal risk, submissions must be received by 1:00 p.m. on the deadline date listed below. Researchers are strongly encouraged to submit protocols prior to the deadlines.

Please note, protocols must be submitted by the first deadline date in order to be considered for the upcoming REB meeting. The Human Research Ethics Office will conduct an administrative pre-review and send an email with the due date to re-submit. Protocols must be resubmitted by 1:00 p.m. on the re-submission deadline.  REB review may be deferred to the next Full Board Meeting if the protocol is incomplete or requires substantial revisions as part of the administrative pre-review.

2024-2025 Schedule

Deadline

Resubmission

Meeting

August 26, 2024

September 9, 2024

September 23, 2024

October 1, 2024

October 15, 2024

October 28, 2024

October 28, 2024

November 12, 2024

November 25, 2024

November 18, 2024

December 2, 2024

December 16, 2024

January 2, 2025

January 13, 2025

January 27, 2025

January 27, 2025

February 10, 2025

February 24, 2025

March 3, 2025

March 17, 2025

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

April 14, 2025

April 28, 2025

April 28, 2025

May 12, 2025

May 26, 2025

May 20, 2025

June 9, 2025

June 23, 2025

July 28, 2025

August 11, 2025

August 25, 2025

Ethics Approval for Researchers External to the University of Manitoba

Overview: Researchers from outside of the University of Manitoba may wish to recruit UM faculty, staff, students or alumni for the purpose of data collection. If UM will actively aid in the recruitment process this requires approval from the UM REB. 

Research Teams WITH a UM Co-Investigator: The UM faculty member should submit to the REB through the online Research Administration System on behalf of the PI. Research that has already been approved by another Canadian institution may undergo Chair review only (please see the description of the Chair Review process above).

Research Teams WITHOUT a UM Co-Investigator: Please submit the following documents by email to humanethics@umanitoba.ca for REB review:

  • REB approval certificate from the home institution
  • Protocol submission form from the home institution
  • Amendment submissions and approvals (if applicable) from the home institution
  • All participant facing documents

Research that has already been approved by another Canadian institution may undergo Chair review only (please see the description of the Chair Review process above).

Follow-On Submissions

All follow-on submissions are processed in the Research Administration System. 

Amendment Requests

Overview: Any changes to the approved protocol or research materials must be reviewed and approved by the REB before implementation through an amendment request.

Expected Timeline: Feedback is typically available within one week.

Personnel Change Requests

Overview:  All team members who will interact with participants and/or have access to raw data, including individual level data, be it anonymous, anonymized, coded or identifiable must be listed on the Personnel Table in the protocol.

If the research team changes a Personnel Change Request must be submitted to update the protocol. 

Expected Timeline: Feedback is typically available within one week.

Renewal Requests

Overview: Protocols are approved for one year only. If the study will continue past one year, please submit a Renewal Request within a month of the expiry date.

Protocol Closures

Overview: REB oversight is required until all communication with participants is complete (i.e., recruitment, data collection, follow up, summary of findings etc.). If you will be in contact with participants again, even if it is just to send a summary of findings, you will need active ethics.

A Protocol Closure must be submitted to the REB when the research is complete or if the research is terminated.

REB Events

Overview: Any deviations from the approved protocol or adverse events must be reported to the REB immediately through an REB Event. If you are unsure on whether you should submit an REB Event, please contact humanethics@umanitoba.ca

Resources and Templates

If you need any documents below in an alternate format, please contact humanethics@umanitoba.ca

Starter Guide

Considerable preparation is required before submitting your ethics protocol for approval.
The Starter guide provide information to help you get started.

Starter Guide (PDF) - Updated September 2024

Companion Guides

The purpose of the companion guides is to clarify questions that appear in the Research Administration System ethics protocol form and to provide additional tips in completing your protocol.

Virtual Drop-in Sessions

The Office of Human Research Ethics provides weekly drop-in sessions for all researchers, including students. Answers to general questions on the ethics process and submissions can be provided.

If you are not available during the specified time, please email humanethics@umanitoba.ca with your questions or to set up another time to meet. 

Virtual Drop-in Session
Time: 
Wednesdays from 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Thursdays from 9:30am to 10:30am
Meeting ID: 693 4602 7696
Passcode: Ethics101
Please log in using your myumanitoba.ca or umanitoba.ca account. 

Due to the confidential nature of some questions, we can only accommodate one person/research team at a time. You will be in the waiting room until we are available to assist you. If you anticipate attending the drop-in session but have limited availability, we encourage you to email humanethics@umanitoba.ca and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Note for students, certain questions may require a separate meeting with your advisor present.

Workshops

The Office of Human Research Ethics - Fort Garry provides workshops in the fall and winter terms.
Anyone is welcome to join these sessions.

The Office of Human Research Ethics also offers in-person and virtual presentations for groups and classes on request. Please email humanethics@umanitoba.ca to schedule a presentation.

CORE'd Out? A Guide to Fort Garry Research Ethics Board Submission
Time: Thursday, November 28 - 1:30pm to 3:00pm
Meeting ID: 656 4064 6231
Passcode: 431283
Please log in using your myumanitoba.ca or umanitoba.ca account. 

In this 1 hour workshop, with a 30 minute question period to follow, participants are given an overview of research ethics, including helpful tips and best practices to ensure compliance with provincial and federal guidelines. Researchers learn about the Fort Garry REB timelines, how to create a well-prepared ethics application using the Research Administration System, and receive key tips from the Office of Human Research Ethics.


Strategies for Success with RAS
Time: Thursday, November 7 - 12:00pm to 12:45pm
Meeting ID: 678 0704 8375
Passcode: Ethics101
Please log in using your myumanitoba.ca or umanitoba.ca account. 

This 30-minute presentation for researchers, students and research personnel offers an overview of RAS focusing on the response to REB feedback, viewing comments, and the new advisor abilities within the system. Attendees will learn how to view comments, submit their changes including marked up versions of documents, and how to reassign the protocol to other members of the team. The session will conclude with a 15-minute question period, providing attendees an opportunity to discuss and clarify any points. 


Informed Consent Form
Time: Tuesday, November 26 - 12:00pm to 12:45pm
Meeting ID: 678 0704 8375
Passcode: Ethics101
Please log in using your myumanitoba.ca or umanitoba.ca account. 

This 30-minute presentation for researchers, students, and research personnel delves into the critical role of consent forms in research involving human participants. We will explore the essential elements of a well-crafted consent form, including clarity, comprehensiveness, and ethical considerations. Attendees will learn about the legal and ethical requirements for obtaining informed consent, common pitfalls, and best practices for ensuring participant understanding and voluntary participation. The session will conclude with a 15-minute question period, allowing for an interactive discussion and clarification of key points. 

Instructors teaching research methods courses are encouraged to reach out to schedule a presentation.


Human Research Ethics Policies

Human Research Ethics and Compliance Newsletter

Feedback Form

Human Research Ethics Fort Garry Feedback/Suggestion Form

The information collected in this form is anonymous and will only be reviewed by the Office of Human Research Ethics.

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Contact Us

Students must copy their Advisors on all email communication with the Office of Human Research Ethics to ensure everyone stays informed. 

Human Ethics Office
Room 404 Administration Building
66 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

204-474-7122