Research Ethics Board Criteria for Expedited Review

All applications will go to the full Research Ethics Board (REB) for review unless they qualify for an expedited review. Based on the criteria below, decisions to conduct expedited review are at the discretion of the REB Chair. Urgency alone is not a sufficient criterion for expedited review.

Expedited Review Criteria:

1. The research is non-invasive. Harms cannot include: breaking of skin, noxious procedures, invasive questionnaires in vulnerable circumstances/context, or significant nuisance/inconvenience.
2. The research involves taking additional blood samples at the time of clinically-indicated blood drawing. The allowable amount will be based on the age, weight, and health of the subjects.
3. The research consists of a comparison of standard therapies, confirmed by peer review, and does not involve invasive outcome assessment.
4. The research involves no direct subject contact, may involve waste or leftover tissue, blood, urine, excreta etc. and only aggregate data is being reported. Exceptions: studies involving fetal waste tissue or genetic material must be submitted for full Board review.
5. The study involves non-invasive product testing, or quality assurance activities and publication is planned.
   

Expedited Review Process:

Most expedited reviews, with the exception of database or health record research, require prior REB-delegated scientific review. As part of this process, the reviewers will be asked whether there are any special or ethical issues that the Board should know about.

The REB review process will include two reviewers, Chair plus 1 other REB member, who may be selected for specific expertise. After expedited approval is granted, summary information, title of the research, names of researchers, and any other information deemed to be pertinent, on the proposal will be submitted to the REB for ratification. REB members may request a copy of the full protocol, and may request delayed ratification until the next REB meeting. In the event that the full Board does not confirm approval, the study will be halted until all issues are resolved and approval is granted by the full REB.