Research Ethics
Mount Royal University believes in maintaining high ethical standards when it comes to research and scholarly activities. If you are an MRU researcher or if you are someone that wishes to conduct research here at MRU, you need to secure ethics clearance for your research if you are conducting a study that involves human participants or animals.
Human Participants
Mount Royal University maintains a Human Research Ethics Board (HREB) that is compliant with the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS) on human research ethics. You can find out more about the TCPS at http://pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/policy-politique/tcps-eptc/readtcps-lireeptc/.
Mount Royal's HREB
- reviews all human behavioural research activities that either originate at MRU and/or that take place at MRU
- does not review biomedical studies that involve biomedical treatments or interventions (MRU has an arrangement with the University of Calgary’s CHREB to review biomedical projects, so please contact the MRU Office of Research Services for more information and help if you are planning on conducting a biomedical study with human participants)
In terms of the general ethics review process at MRU
- you need to secure ethics clearance for your study before you begin to recruit and/or gather data from your participants
- clearance generally takes between 2 and 8 weeks, depending on the complexity and risk inherent in your study
- once you have ethics clearance, you also need to seek further clearance from HREB if you wish to make any changes to your processes, procedures or documents, during the study
- such clearance for modifications/extensions often takes as little as 1-2 days
- you must also follow all appropriate legislation, procedures, laws and policies that apply to your study from granting bodies, the institution and/or provincial or federal governments
- HREB accepts ethics applications at any time (but does not process them during June-Aug)
- HREB works with you to secure ethics clearance for your study
- To help facilitate a relatively speedy review, it is very important that you submit your application well before you want/need it cleared (at least 4 weeks beforehand) and that you hand in an application that is clear, concise and comprehensive
The Human Research Ethics Review Process
To help you prepare for and navigate through the ethics review process, we have prepared a guide that you should read. This guide covers more than just the ethics review as it also includes academic integrity and risk management issues. It shows you how the human research ethics review fits into the overall “research ethics” process at MRU. Follow the path through the document that matches your specific needs.
The Human Research Ethics Application
Once you have read through the process and are ready to submit an ethics application (if that is what you should do), please download the application below. Please note that this document is interactive i.e. depending on the choices you make new questions may pop up. As well, there is contextual help in most sections. Please read the contextual help if it applies to you, and send us feedback (to hreb@mtroyal.ca) on whether you found it helpful and/or whether other information would also be of help. If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to contact either Glynis McCance (403-440-6069) in the Office of Research Services or Dr. Sean Maw (403-440-6590), the current Chair of HREB. They would be happy to assist you. The other members of the HREB can also be approached for assistance.
Membership
| Name | Department | Phone | ||
| Michelle Yeo (Chair) | Academic Development Centre | ac.layortm@oeym | (403)440-6494 | |
| Harpreet Aulakh | Justice Studies | ac.layortm@hkaluah | (403)440-5907 | |
| Karim Dharamsi | General Education | ac.layortm@ismarahdk | 440-8695 | |
| Robert Jones | Students Association | ac.urmas@tnediserp | (403)440-6404 | |
| Samanti Kulatilake | Sociology and Anthropology | ac.layortm@ekalitaluks | (403)440-8758 | |
| Allison MacKenzie | Public Relations | ac.layortm@eiznekcama | (403)440-8748 | |
| Sinclair MacRae | Humanities | ac.layortm@earcams | (403)440-6543 | |
| Sean Maw | Math, Physics and Engineering | ac.layortm@wams | (403)440-6590 | |
| Janice Miller-Young | Math, Physics and Engineering | ac.layortm@gnuoymj | (403)440-6030 | |
| Anna Piltingsrud | Students Association | ac.urmas@cimedacapv | 403.440.6402 | |
| Maggie Quance | School of Nursing | ac.layortm@ecnauqm | (403)440-5525 | |
| Sandra Rhodes | ac.wahs@rlardnas | |||
| Stephanie Stone | ac.cg.csdhr-cdsrh@enots.einahpets | |||
| James Taylor | Psychology | ac.layortm@rolyatcj | (403)440-6016 |
Animal Subjects
Due to the small number of animal research projects that would involve ethics review that are currently being conducted through MRU, and due to the need for stringent methodology and facility reviews by specialists, such work must take place off-campus at this time. However, should you wish to conduct such research you should contact the Office of Research Services to keep track of your intent and interest so that such review processes can eventually be put into place at MRU, and to facilitate you securing such facilities and ethics reviews elsewhere. The ORS will do whatever it can to help you with such work.
Documents
May 28, 2010 - The new Course Based Research Ethics Application Form is included at the bottom of this page. Note the following deadlines for submission of these application forms - Fall 2010 is August 27, 2010 and Winter 2011 is October 31, 2010.
March 11, 2010 - The spring deadline for ethics applications is May 12. Ethics applications are not reviewed from June 15 to August 15, so to prevent an overload of applications before the summer break we have set a deadline date. To ensure your application is reviewed prior to June 15, you must submit it by May 12. HREB will process the first 20 applications in the queue on that date. Please ensure that all attachments are included (don't forget your methodology document). Applications that are not thoroughly completed will be returned. Any remaining applications may have to wait until mid-August.
January 25, 2010 - Both the HREB ethics application process document and application form have been updated. Send us feedback (to hreb@mtroyal.ca) on whether you found it helpful and/or whether other information would also be of help.
