Research Ethics
This page contains information to assist faculty and students in obtaining approvals to conduct research that involves humans, animals, and biohazards. All Ethics Application Forms (Human, Animal, and Biohazard) are accessible through the Romeo software system. Please click here for more information on Romeo.
Wondering where to start?
See our Ethics FAQ
Human Research Ethics Board
The Human Research Ethics Board is hosting a lunch series and drop-in sessions to chat about the REB application process for first time researchers and their supervisors.
Learn more
Ethics and REB Processes for First-Time Researchers
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 1 – 2 p.m. in OL 127 (for students and faculty)
Calling all UREAP, BIS, honours, directed studies, Knowledge Makers and graduate students, and all others conducting primary research for the first time! We'll chat about registering for ROMEO, the importance of the TCPS 2 Core Tutorial, and participant documents including consent forms. REB members will answer your questions about preparing your very first ethics application.
Supporting Student Ethics and REB Applications
Wednesday, Nov. 29, 1 – 2 p.m. in HL 402 (for faculty)
The role of the supervisor is an important one for undergraduate and graduate research. One of the best ways to support a student's ethics application is by having a clear understanding of the TCPS 2 and offering a close initial review of the application prior to REB submission. Come and chat with REB members about best practices as a supervisor at the ethics review stage.
Ethics Online Chats
Wednesdays, Oct. 18, Nov. 1 and Nov. 22, 1 – 3 p.m. on BigBlueButton (for students and faculty)
Drop in to REB's online chats to discuss your ethics questions and applications. Find us at bit.ly/TRUrebchat during these times.
All research involving human participants and/or their private records must receive approval by the Research Ethics Board (REB) prior to contacting potential participants and/or accessing private records. To determine whether your project requires REB approval, please contact the REB at TRU-REB@tru.ca. The TRU REB is obliged to ensure compliance with the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – TCPS 2 (2022) (ethics.gc.ca). REB members use the TCPS2 to guide their reviews and provide feedback to researchers. REB reviews are a peer review process by which the REB supports researchers by ensuring that their projects follow the TCPS2 guide. This is how the REB helps fulfill TRU’s contractual obligation to ensure that all researchers affiliated with TRU follow the TCPS2 guidelines in the conduct of their research and teaching.
*** All researchers that would have contact with participants (potential and actual) and/or their data must complete the free-of-charge, online tutorial found through this link. The tutorial takes approximately 4-6 hours to complete. You will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the tutorial. Please be sure to attach your certificate to your REB application for review. This certificate is required of all faculty and student researchers as a condition of REB approval.
Projects that pose above minimal risk are reviewed by the full board at an REB meeting. Please see the following tentative schedule of submission deadlines and REB meeting dates.
REB Deadlines and Meeting Dates
Research Ethics BC - The Harmonized Approach and Applications
In September of 2019 TRU joined the Research Ethics BC Harmonization Project to better help researchers with ethics applications that involve more than one university and/or health authority. With one ethics application researchers can obtain ethics approval from multiple ethics boards at once by using the UBC RiSE application system. This new process if part of the BC AHSN network and Research Ethics BC.
How does Research Ethics BC facilitate health systems change in the province? What is their role inside the BC Academic Health Science Network? "Who is Research Ethics BC?" begins to answer these questions. It's a short video that introduces REBC's network of stakeholders, and what supports this operational unit of BC AHSN can offer.
Please see the video developed by REBC Navigator Paola Pinto Vidal for further information. Watch the video here on BC AHSN’s YouTube Channel
The Review Process and Approximate Timelines for Minimal Risk Research
The REB’s goal is to provide a review to researchers within four weeks. This feedback will be sent to you through ROMEO. It will include instructions on how to revise and resubmit your application form based on the review/feedback. After you have re-submitted your application, if items are still outstanding, then the REB will request further revisions and clarifications. If no further clarification or revisions are required, then the REB will send you a Letter of Approval, and you can begin contacting human participants for data collection.
The time to obtain certification depends on several factors including volume of REB applications under review at the time. Reviews tend to take a little longer during peak periods such as September/October, and during vacation seasons such as August and over Christmas. Please keep this in mind as you plan your research project.
How do I submit an REB application in ROMEO?
Checklist of materials to include with your application
- Informed consent form. Please use this checklist to ensure that your consent form includes all the necessary information. Incomplete consent forms will be returned to you for completion.
- TCPS 2 Certificate of Completion
- Recruitment scripts such as: email script, poster, social media post, telephone script … word-for-word what you will say when you initiate contact with potential participants.
- Data collection tools such as: survey, questionnaire, interview questions, focus group discussion guide.
- Official letters of support to work with communities and organizations such as Indigenous communities and school districts. Please note that official letters of support come on letters with the organization’s letterhead. Email would not suffice.
- It may be appropriate for you to obtain a confidentiality agreement such as from your research assistants or from participants of focus groups, transcriptionists, and other circumstances. Please revise the following as needed for your study:
Step-by-step instructions for submitting an application in Romeo
If you have any further questions, then please do not hesitate to contact the REB: TRU-REB@tru.ca.
Animal Care Committee
Submission Deadline: Continuous Intake
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) regards the use of animals in research, teaching, testing and production as a privilege and not a right. All individuals involved in the use of animals for research, teaching, testing and production must care for their animals in compliance with the TRU Animal Care Committee (TRU-ACC) protocols, the Canadian Council for Animal Care (CCAC) Guidelines and in accordance with Sections 444-447 of the Criminal Code of Canada and Section 24 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Thompson Rivers University treats all animals used in teaching and research with the highest standards of ethical care and treatment, and has been recognized with a Certificate of Good Animal Practice issued by the Canadian Council on Animal Care.
Animal Care Committee Resources
- Annual Animal Use Data Reporting Form
- CCAC Categories of Invasiveness in Animal Experiments
- CCAC Categories of Invasiveness in Wildlife Studies
Please contact TRUacc@tru.ca if you have any questions.
Biosafety Committee
All Biosafety resources are now found in the TRU Romeo system. This includes Biosafety Application and Standard Operating Procedure forms.
Please refer to our Biosafety website for additional information. https://www.tru.ca/hsafety/biosafety.html
This office is supported by the federal Research Support Fund. The Fund assists Canadian post-secondary institutions to maintain a world-class research environment, which includes human ethics, animal care and biosafety.
