Submit a Human Ethics Protocol

Need to find human ethics guidelines (e.g., informed consent, student participation, data privacy, etc.)?  Please see Human Ethics Principles & Guidelines.

There are two routes for submitting a human ethics protocol for ethics review.

• My Research Human Protocols (MRHP): All submissions must be made through MRHP.  Course-based research in departments without a Delegated Ethics Review Committee (DERC) must also be submitted via MRHP.
• Delegated Ethics Review Committee: Course-based research in departments with a DERC can be submitted directly to the committee. If unsure, consult with your departmental/faculty contact. For more details, see How Human Ethics Applies to Course-Based Research.

Delegated review deadline (for low risk research): Every Monday or first business day of the week by 4pm.

Full board review deadline (default): These deadlines are determined by the respective Research Ethics Board (REB).

See Protocol Submission Deadlines & Who to Submit To.

Protocols are first approved by the relevant department’s chair or dean before they are reviewed by the REB.

• Submit your protocol well in advance of the expected start date of your research to allow sufficient time for the review process. For delegated review, the review process may take 4-6 weeks from submission to first response.  This first response may be an approval or a request for additional information or changes to your ethics protocol. Full board review may take 2-3 weeks after the meeting to first response.
• Ethics review submissions should normally not include thesis proposals or journal articles.
• Applicants are advised to watch the Tips for Writing a Human Ethics Protocol video and refer to guidelines on various methodological and ethics related topics.
• Other permissions in addition to REB approval may be required to conduct research. It is up to the researcher to determine what these are and obtain them.  Please see Before Engaging in Research for assistance.

Research to take place at a Toronto Academic Heath Science Network (TAHSN) hospital that involves the University in a peripheral role requires U of T review after REB approval by the hospital’s REB. Such roles include the following.

• Funding administered by U of T
• Involvement of a graduate student on the hospital-based project
• Analysis of data or biospecimens at U of T
• Storage of data or biospecimens at U of T
• Recruitment on campus
   

Research that has been approved by an REB from a hospital with full TAHSN membership, or a hospital with TAHSN membership and CTO REB qualification may be reviewed through administrative review. These institutions are:

• Baycrest
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
• Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
• Sinai Health (Includes Mount Sinai Hospital and Bridgepoint Active Healthcare)
• Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Unity Health Toronto (includes St. Michael’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and Providence Healthcare)
• University Health Network (Includes Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute)
• Women’s College Hospital
• TAHSN hospital-based research approved by the Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board (OCREB)
   

To apply for administrative review, use My Research Human Protocols (MRHP) and include the following in your application.

• Approved TAHSN Human Subjects Research Ethics Application form
• Approved research protocol
• All appendices
• REB (of record) approval letter
   

There are no deadlines for administrative review. The timeline to first review is 1-2 weeks.

Research to take place at the University or in the community is normally not covered by TAHSN hospital REB approval and therefore U of T REB review and approval is required. This review may be conducted through delegated review in many instances; however full board review is the default process.

U of T Community Participants

Research that involves  U of T students, faculty, librarians, staff and/or alumni may require approval through an administrative process in addition to REB review. Please see relevant guidelines below.

• Guideline for U of T-based researchers
• Guideline for external researchers
   

Requests to conduct survey research on U of T postgraduate medical education fellows (medical residents) should be sent to the Associate Dean, Post-MD Education, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, at adpgme@utoronto.ca, rather than through the process outlined in the guidelines above.

The risk matrix, section 12 on MRHP will help determine the risk level. Risk level 1 goes through delegated review, while risk levels 2 and 3 will be reviewed by a panel of the full REB at a monthly scheduled meeting.

While we try to accommodate reasonable requests, ethics review is not a quick process. The REB is responsible for conducting proportionate review (in relation to level of risk) and full board reviews are conducted according to specific deadlines and scheduled meetings. It is the responsibility of the researcher to ensure sufficient time for review, prior to the commencement of the research activity.

Researchers should make every attempt to be fair in their risk matrix assessment. If you are unsure how to correctly fill out the matrix, please consult the Human Research Ethics Program (HREP) staff. If a protocol is deemed to require full board review once it has been submitted for delegated review, you will be notified and the protocol will be reviewed at the respective REB’s next full board meeting.

• Provide guidance on how to submit an application
• Provide consultations to develop an ethics protocol
• Assist with technical questions for using MRHP