Ethics Submission Process

Faculty, Adjunct, Post-Doctoral, Staff, Graduate & Undergraduate Student Applications

All protocols of Queen’s School of Business Faculty, Graduate Theses, Post Graduate Student and Undergraduates will be reviewed by the Unit REB, and most will be sent to GREB for approval. There is one instance in which applications will be reviewed by UREB only – course-based research.

NEW - ROMEO Electronic Ethics Application System

Queen’s has a new electronic application system called ROMEO at http://www.queensu.ca/ors/researchethics/queensethicsromeo/registrationlogin.html. You must now file all of your applications electronically. The ROMEO Researcher Manual can be found at http://www.queensu.ca/ors/researchethics/queensethicsromeo/eORSresearcherportal/Researchersmanual.pdf.

Hints for using ROMEO can be found here: ROMEO Hints

For the online submission of ethics applications (ROMEO):

· Register through http://www.queensu.ca/ors/researchethics/queensethicsromeo.html

· All active (previously approved) applications from 2000 to present are now in the ROMEO database. All Change forms, Renewals, & Adverse event reports for these must now be submitted through the ROMEO system.

Unit REB Ethics submission requirements

The following are required for submission:
1. University Application (https://eservices.queensu.ca/romeo_researcher/Researcher/HomePage/ApplyNewPage.aspx)
2. Letter of Information
3. Consent form
4. Or Letter of Information & consent form combined
5. Copy of the study protocol and any materials to be used (e.g., questionnaires, stimuli, scripts for experiments)
Course-Based Research: GREB Application Form (the Short Application form is used by individual students or student groups within the course)
Include this contact information in the LOI and Consent forms or Combined LOI & Consent forms.

Chair of the General Research Ethics Board, Joan Stevenson
Email c /o Office of Research Services: chair.GREB@queensu.ca
Telephone: 613-533-6081

Chair of the Unit Research Ethics Board, Jane Webster
Email: jwebster@business.queensu.ca
Telephone: 613-533-3163.
For Grad Students: Before submitting, you MUST

a) have taken the CORE tutorial at http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/education/tutorial-didacticiel/ [or its predecessor, CHRPP, at https://webapp.queensu.ca/chrpp/].
b) review your materials with your supervisor and have him/her approve them.

Once the application has been reviewed by the UREB and appropriate changes are made the QSB Research office will forward your application along with a copy of the comments from the UREB committee to GREB.

GREB will contact you with any questions, requested changes, and/or approval.

Submission Deadline Information

Delegated applications, those expected to pose minimal risk, can be submitted at any time. The GREB Monthly Meeting Schedule does not apply to delegated applications; the majority of projects fall into this category.

All applications must be reviewed by UREB prior to submission to GREB.

From the first review to GREB approval, it takes approximately 4-6 weeks to complete a delgated ethics application, please plan and submit accordingly.

Any project which is deemed to be of greater than minimal risk may require a full review at a monthly GREB meeting. All research conducted with aboriginal communities or individuals is brought to full review by the GREB where there is aboriginal expertise and a formal link to the Aboriginal Council.

Submissions for Full Board review are due two weeks prior to the GREB meeting date. Therefore, the initial submission to Unit REB should take place at least 2 weeks prior to the GREB submission deadline to allow time for the review and to make any requested changes. GREB Monthly Meeting Schedule can be viewed at:

http://www.queensu.ca/ors/researchethics/GeneralREB/GRBMeetingschedule.html

Minimal Risk

Based on Article 1.6 of the Tri Council Policy Statement “The standard for minimal risk is commonly defined as follows: if potential participants can reasonably be expected to regard the probability and magnitude of possible harms implied by participation in the research to be no greater than those encountered by the subject in those aspects of his or her everyday life that relate to the research then the research can be regarded as within the range of minimal risk”.

Ethics Review Process Timeline for Delegated Reviews (Low-Risk Research)

The expected time it takes for your application to go through the process is anywhere from 17 business days to 32 business days not including the time you take to incorporate any of the changes that have been requested.

Application submitted through ROMEO
Forward to UREB PhD Reviewer 0-1 Days	Unit REB Steps
Preliminary PhD Student Review 2-3 Days
Revised application submitted to ROMEO
Forward to UREB Faculty 0-1 Days
UREB Faculty Review 5-6 Days
Applicant submits a revised copy through ROMEO
	GREB Steps
GREB Review 10-20 Days (maybe longer during the start of a semester and Summer)	GREB Steps

Ethics Review Process Timeline for Full Reviews (Medium or High Risk Research or Research Involving Aboriginal Communities/Individuals)

Applications must be approved by Unit REB before going to a full review at GREB and sent to the Research Office at least 15 days before the GREB Monthly Meeting. The expected time it takes for your application to go through the Unit REB process is anywhere from 7 business days to 11 business days not including the time you take to incorporate any of the changes that have been requested.

Application submitted through ROMEO
Forward to UREB PhD Reviewer 0-1 Days	Unit REB Steps
Preliminary PhD Student Review 2-3 Days
Revised application submitted through ROMEO
Forward to UREB Faculty 0-1 Days
UREB Faculty Review 5-6 Days
Applicant submits a revised application through ROMEO at least 15 days before the scheduled GREB Monthly Meeting.
	GREB Steps
Application at GREB 15 days before the GREB Monthly Meeting GREB Schedule: http://www.queensu.ca/ors/researchethics/GeneralREB/GRBMeetingschedule.html
Full Review at Monthly GREB Meeting