GREB appreciates your patience with respect to human participant research as we continue to navigate the many implications of COVID-19 on our collective work. I am pleased to say that this has not impacted our standard review timelines of 2 – 4 weeks due to the hard work of our GREB committee members.
As of March 22, 2021, the NEW revised GREB Standard Application Form will be added to TRAQ. Please ensure all current drafts of the GREB application form with an entry date prior to March 22, 2021, are submitted in advance of April 26, 2021. Starting April 26 2021, submissions using the old GREB Standard Application form will not be accepted.
The revised GREB application form has been updated with a focus on improving questions related to the principles of the TCPS 2. GREB engaged in a consultative process in developing the updated application questions. We believe that these new application questions will provide greater clarity for applicants and thus minimize potential questions raised during the application review process.
The Ethics office is also making an update to processing annual renewals and study closures. As of March 8, 2021 annual renewal letters will no longer be generated for GREB and HSREB. Instead this information will be communicated via email only. If you require records for auditing purposes refer to the email communication or in TRAQ select ‘Shared Communications’ and click the ‘preview’ icon. Study teams can also confirm the annual renewal or study status in TRAQ via the ‘Event Info’ in the ‘Note(s)’ box.
Update to In-Person Human Participant Research Process:
- Any previously approved in-person human participant research activity taking place in KFL&A only, and involving participants from KFL&A only, may resume
- In-Person research involving human participants from outside KFL&A continues to be suspended with the following exceptions:
- COVID-19 Research
- Study involves in-person research where the participant is receiving a service that would be delivered/received regardless of the research (e.g., medical treatment)
- Researchers currently in other regions or countries conducting approved in-person research, may continue, as long as they follow all applicable local public health directives and safety measures
- Contact your Associate Dean of Research should you be unclear whether your human participant study can continue
- New requests for in-person human participant research will be reviewed and approved by the central Research Response Team via your Associate Dean of Research. The process to start or resume in-person research can be found on Human Participant Research Guidelines and SOP page of the VPR website. Visit queensu.ca/vpr/covid-19 for the most up-to-date information related to COVID-19.
Visit the NEW Ethics Communications Bulletin for the most up-to-date information with respect to human participant research ethics.
Sincerely,
Dean Tripp, Ph.D., Chair, General Research Ethics Board (GREB)
Professor, Departments of Psychology, Anesthesiology, & Urology, Department of Athletics, Varsity High Performance Program, Mental Training Coach