Please see the attached communication from Western’s Office of Human Research Ethics (OHRE) about a coordinated review process for multi-site research that applies to collaborative research projects between Western and the University of Waterloo.

Researchers will submit one human ethics application through Western’s REB management system (i.e., ROMEO), after which the OHRE will inform Waterloo’s REB of the requirement for a coordinated review. Each of the ethics review boards will work together to simultaneously review the application and provide coordinated comments. This change eliminates the need for consecutive human ethics reviews by each institution, reducing turnaround times for multi-site research. In the process, it reduces redundancies and ensures consistency of recommendations between institutions. All research, regardless of risk level, is eligible for the Western-Waterloo process. More information about this coordinated review can be found on the OHRE website.

photo credit: Balance Scales (Ethics) via photopin (license)