- 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
Human Ethics at Fort Garry campus
Human Research Ethics at Fort Garry campus upholds ethics protocols to ensure the health and welfare of human participants during research studies.
Research Ethics on 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 conducted at, or under the auspices of the University of Manitoba, require prior ethics review and approval by a Research Ethics Board (REB).
There are two REBs at the Fort Garry Campus. Protocol applications to REB 1 and REB 2 are administered through the Research Administration System.
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.
Workshops and Drop-in Sessions
The office provides weekly drop-in sessions for all researchers, including students. We will be available to answer questions on the ethics application as well as feedback you have received from the committees. 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.
Time: Wednesdays from 1:00pm to 3:00pm
https://umanitoba.zoom.us/j/61892069166?pwd=YnlRcjE4eXZQZzdoVFNpbHJVNUVEUT09
Meeting ID: 618 9206 9166
Passcode: Ethics
Please log in using your myumanitoba.ca or umanitoba.ca account.
Additional Drop-In Sessions
Time: May 5, 2023 from 8:30am to 12:00pm
https://umanitoba.zoom.us/j/61778105035?pwd=bkx0THFsK21PVFUrcjMxY0RyZzdBQT09
Meeting ID: 617 7810 5035
Passcode: Ethics
Please log in using your myumanitoba.ca or umanitoba.ca account.
Time: May 8, 2023 from 8:30am to 12:00pm
https://umanitoba.zoom.us/j/67384369094?pwd=Q1ZtNkh0S0tVVDlXcCtkQ0JORUVBZz09
Meeting ID: 673 8436 9094
Passcode: Ethics
Please log in using your myumanitoba.ca or umanitoba.ca account.
The Human Ethics- Fort Garry office also provides workshops in the fall and winter terms. Anyone is welcome to join these sessions. In this 1.5 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 new RAS system, and receive key tips from the Human Ethics Office.
Time: May 2, 2023 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
https://umanitoba.zoom.us/j/69971969859?pwd=dGIwV0ZXSVVnNDI0V29YSlZLc25LQT09
Meeting ID: 690 3229 6471
Passcode: HEREB
Please log in using your myumanitoba.ca or umanitoba.ca account.
Applications
The Human Ethics Office has migrated to the new Research Administration System (RAS), which will integrate all the Human Ethics forms. Electronic forms will flow from creation to completion, through one electronic system, along the approval process.
Please make sure to upload your CORE and PHIA (if applicable) certificates to your user profile in the new system 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. Full RAS training materials and further FAQs can be found by logging into UM Learn and choosing Self-Registration and then Research Administration System.
Research Ethics Board
Approval timelines
All submissions (i.e. new applications, revisions, amendments) are first reviewed by the Human Ethics Office for clarity, consistency and compliance. The pre-review process by the Human Ethics Office is typically one week.
The initial review process by the Research Ethics Board is typically three to six weeks.
Revisions and amendments typically take one week to review. If the application is inconsistent and unorganized, the review process will take longer. To avoid undue delay, please complete the application carefully and thoroughly.
Meeting schedules and protocol deadlines
The REBs schedule meetings each month to review protocols that are deemed greater than minimal risk.
For studies deemed greater than minimal risk, please submit a protocol application by 4:30 p.m. on the following deadline dates.
Please note, studies are required to be submitted by the first deadline date in order to be considered for the upcoming meeting. We will conduct a pre-review and may return the protocol to you within 2 business days. For protocols that require revisions, you must resubmit by the re-submission deadline. We will send you an email at the same time as the revision feedback with the due date to re-submit. Studies that are still not complete will be sent back and may not be included in the upcoming meeting.
REB 1 schedule
REB 1 Deadline |
Re-submission Deadline |
Meeting Date |
August 29th, 2022 |
September 6th, 2022 |
September 19th, 2022 |
September 26th, 2022 |
October 3rd, 2022 |
October 17th, 2022 |
October 24th, 2022 |
October 31st, 2022 |
November 21st, 2022 |
November 28th, 2022 |
December 5th, 2022 |
December 19th, 2022 |
December 19th, 2022 |
January 4th, 2023 |
January 16th, 2023 |
January 23rd, 2023 |
January 30th, 2023 |
February 13th, 2023 |
February 27th, 2023 |
March 6th, 2023 |
March 20th, 2023 |
March 27th, 2023 |
April 3rd, 2023 |
April 17th, 2023 |
April 24th, 2023 |
May 1st, 2023 |
May 15th, 2023 |
May 29th, 2023 |
June 5th, 2023 |
June 19th, 2023 |
June 26th, 2023 |
July 3rd, 2023 |
July 17th, 2023 |
REB 2 schedule
REB 2 Deadline |
Re-submission Deadline |
Meeting Date |
August 17th, 2022 |
August 24th, 2022 |
September 7th, 2022 |
September 14th, 2022 |
September 21st, 2022 |
October 5th, 2022 |
October 12th, 2022 |
October 19th, 2022 |
November 2nd, 2022 |
November 16th, 2022 |
November 23rd, 2022 |
December 7th, 2022 |
December 14th, 2022 |
December 21st, 2022 |
January 4th, 2023 |
January 11th, 2023 |
January 18th,2023 |
February 1st, 2023 |
February 8th, 2023 |
February 15th,2023 |
March 1st, 2023 |
March 15th, 2023 |
March 22nd,2023 |
April 5th, 2023 |
April 12th, 2023 |
April 19th, 2023 |
May 3rd, 2023 |
May 17th, 2023 |
May 24th, 2023 |
June 7th, 2023 |
June 14th, 2023 |
June 21st, 2023 |
July 5th, 2023 |
Board membership
There are two Research Ethics Boards (REBs) at the Fort Garry Campus. The following departments/faculties are to submit their applications to the appropriate REB as listed below.
Research Ethics Board 1 (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
Research Ethics Board 2 (REB 2)
-
-
- 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
Frequently asked questions
The following frequently asked questions were developed by the Fort Garry Research Ethics Boards (REBs). If you have further questions, please email humanethics@umanitoba.ca.
Different types of review processes
There are three types of reviews at the Fort Garry Human Ethics office.
- Delegated review: This is the most common. Minimal risk ethics applications are processed on an ongoing basis and do not have a deadline.
- Full board review: Studies that are more than minimal risk undergo full review. The deadline to submit a study for full review is two weeks before the REB meeting. Please check the full list of deadline dates below for more information. Protocols must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. Protocols received after that date and time will move to the next month’s meeting. Please note, the REBs do not meet in August.
- Chair review: Protocols that have been approved by another Canadian university may undergo Chair review. This process only applies for studies when the UM researcher is listed as a co-Investigator or if the studies do not include UM researchers. Also, secondary use of data may also undergo Chair review.
How to determine what type of review your protocol needs
The TCPS 2 defines minimal risk research as "research in which the probability and magnitude of possible harms implied by participation in the research is no greater than those encountered by participants in those aspects of their everyday life that relate to the research." Studies that are minimal risk will undergo delegated review. Studies that are more than minimal risk will undergo full board review.
As per the TCPS 2, the default review is full board. If we are unsure, or on the fence, the study will undergo full board review.
When determining risk, the REB takes into account the study population, the extent and likelihood of a participant experiencing harm, and the type of risk.
If you are not sure of the type of review your protocol needs, please submit your protocol before the full board review deadline.
How long a protocol is approved for
Protocols are approved for one year only. If your study will continue past one year, please submit a Renewal Request before the expiry date.
When a study can be closed
Ethics clearance 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. If communication with participants in regards to this study is complete, you may submit the Study Closure Form and close the study.
Once the study is closed, we cannot reopen it. A new application, which will undergo review, will need to be submitted to continue the study.
Ethics approval for researchers from outside of the University of Manitoba
Protocols that have been approved by another Canadian university may be reviewed by the Chair of the REB only.
This process may be accepted if University of Manitoba faculty, staff, students or alumni will be recruited, but there is no faculty member from the University of Manitoba on the research team. It may also be accepted if a University of Manitoba researcher team member is listed as a co-Investigator.
Please submit the full application and approval certificate from your institution for our review to humanethics@umanitoba.ca.
Keeping research data
The TCPS 2 Chapter 5: Privacy and Confidentiality states "in considering the adequacy of proposed measures for safeguarding information during its full life cycle, REBs should not automatically impose a requirement that researchers destroy the research data. Stored information may be useful for a variety of future purposes. Appropriate data retention periods vary depending on the research discipline, research purpose and the kind of data involved."
The REB does not have restrictions on data retention and destruction. Instead, we ask the researcher to provide justification for how long they will keep the data.
Data can be kept indefinitely. However, data should be anonymized when it is possible to do so. Furthermore, safeguards should be put in place to keep the information confidential.
Whatever you decide to do, this information needs to be expressed to participants in the informed consent form.
Rules for participant gifts/honorariums
TCPS 2 states that "because incentives are used to encourage participation in a research project, they are an important consideration in assessing voluntariness. Where incentives are offered to participants, they should not be so large or attractive as to encourage reckless disregard of risks."
Payment to participants for participation in research studies should not be considered a benefit. It is a method for compensating research volunteers for out-of-pocket expense, such as parking or meals, and/or lost wages as a result of time spent in the study. Payment to participants should not constitute undue inducement by leading to an increase in voluntariness or a decrease in the understanding with which participants agree to participate.
The payment should be provided once the participant consents to participating. The payment amount can accrue as the study progresses but should not be contingent upon the participants completing the entire study. If the study requires multiple visits, researchers may provide compensation in increments for each visit the participant attends, providing that such an incentive is not coercive. The REB will ensure that the amount paid is reasonable and not so large as to unduly coerce participants to stay in the study when they would otherwise have withdrawn.
The amount and schedule of all payments should be presented to the REB with the initial submission. The REB will review both the amount of payment and the proposed method and timing of disbursement to ensure that neither is coercive or presents undue influence.
Human Ethics policies
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Ethics of research involving humans
Use the following policies from the University of Manitoba governing documents to dictate the ethics of research involving humans.
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Tri-Council Policy Statement: TCPS 2
Please review the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – TCPS 2 (2022) online or in PDF format at the Government of Canada website here.
Guidelines and templates
The following guidelines and templates were developed by the Fort Garry Research Ethics Boards and approved for use by the Human Ethics Resource Committee.
- Consent Form Template - Fort Garry (PDF)
- Data Storage Guidelines for Research with Human Participants- December 2022.pdf
- Guidelines for Course-Based Research (PDF)
- Demographic Questions Guidelines- September 2022.pdf
- Virtual Platforms Guidelines- September 2022.pdf
- Guidelines for Participant Recruitment- December 2022
- Guidelines for Conducting Observations in Schools (PDF)
- Guidelines for the Conduct of Research with own children (PDF)
- Practitioner-Research Guidelines (PDF)
- Oath of Confidentiality: Non-UM Personnel (PDF)
- Oath of Confidentiality: UM Personnel (PDF)
- Video Research Guidelines (PDF)
- Administrative Research, Interviews and Survey (PDF)
The University of Manitoba is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. Please contact us if you require this information in an alternative format at humanethics@umanitoba.ca.
Educational resources
REDCap
REDCap is a web-based program designed to support research data management with electronic data capture technology. Developed by Vanderbilt University, it is in use at more than 3,000 sites around the world. You are encouraged to use the built-in tools for assessing data quality, generating reports, graphs and descriptive statistics, and sharing access among team members.
CORE-2022
The online tutorial CORE-2022 (Course on Research Ethics) is an introduction to the TCPS 2 for the research community. It focuses on the TCPS 2 ethics guidance that is applicable to all research involving human participants, regardless of discipline or methodology.
Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research
Review this documentation online to gain an understanding of policies, requirements and ways to manage agency funds related to applying for and performing research. This includes information on disseminating your results and processes that institutions and agencies follow in the event of an allegation of a breach of an agency policy.
Contact us
Human Ethics Officer
Crop Technology Centre
208-194 Dafoe Road
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2