Research Ethics BC
Information for research ethics board administrators (REBAs)
We offer a range of materials to support research ethics board administrators in understanding and implementing harmonized approaches to ethics review at their institutions.
Webinars
We provide training and development opportunities for researchers and project managers in a variety of topic areas.
View past webinars and symposia presented by Research Ethics BC:
Guidance documents
These resources for research ethics board administrators (REBAs) and research ethics board reviewers have been developed in collaboration between Research Ethics BC and the Research Ethics BC network, comprising institutional research ethics boards across British Columbia. If you are looking for additional resources, please contact us.
Research Ethics BC network contact information
Please reach out to a member of our team at researchethicsbc@healthresearchbc.ca if any information in the list needs to be updated.
Provincial Research Ethics Network (PREP) platform
Research Ethics BC and the University of British Columbia (UBC) launched the Provincial Research Ethics Platform (PREP) in 2018. This functionality within the UBC human ethics module in RISe enables multi-jurisdictional review of research ethics applications in a single online system.
BC researchers who are affiliated with the current Research Ethics BC network may submit an application for harmonized review.
PREP change management
The Provincial Research Ethics Platform is always evolving. To help stay on top of these changes, we have the PREP Change Management Team, consisting of representatives from REBC, UBC Behavioural, UBC Clinical and the RISe Technical Team.
The team meets regularly, bringing forward and prioritizing changes requested by each of their stakeholder groups. The RISe Technical Team advises on all technical aspects and implements updates.
Current members of the PREP change management team:
- Jean Ruiz, Senior Research Ethics Analyst – Behavioural, UBC – Meeting Chair
- Snežana Milosevic, Business Analyst, UBC – RISE
- Elmira Chan, Pre-Post Review Manager, UBC Clinical Research Ethics Board
- Maria Valente, Research Ethics Review Officer, UBC Behavioural Ethics Board
- Hanna Jones-Eriksson, Research Ethics Manager, Research Ethics BC
Changes to PREP generally fall into two categories: text changes and projects.
Text changes are edits to questions, guidance, automatic notifications, etc. They don’t affect the logic of the application questions (i.e. no additional questions, no impact on appearance order or dependencies) and do not impact workflows (i.e. no new steps or states). For the most part, text changes can be simple requests – so long as each stakeholder group agrees.
Projects include every other type of change and they can be large or small. Projects need to be justified, scoped, planned, executed, tested, retested, and only so many projects can fit into one update. Examples of projects include adding a new PREP REB, adding new questions or sections, adding new automatic notifications, the removal of any of these, and so on.
All changes are implemented during RISe updates, performed by the RISe Technical Team. A summary of the latest changes are then shared with the REBC Network. We have recently been pleased to offer guidance materials and presentations, like the Guidance sheet for introduction to PREP reports or the RISe/PREP Update Demonstration.
If you have any questions, please contact the Research Ethics BC team.
Join our communities of practice!
The clinical research ethics community of practice (CRE-CoP)
Within the clinical research ethics community of practice (CRE-CoP), members can safely share experiences in the conduct of clinical ethical review of research, with a focus on improvement and consistency in approach across BC. The goals of CRE-CoP include working toward solutions for priority issues, looking for collaborative points with other ethics communities, developing and supporting clinical research ethics best practices, encouraging standards adoption and evaluating the success of the CoP on a regular basis.
When do we meet? The first Thursday of every month.
Meeting duration: 1 hour
The research operational approvals community of practice (ROA-CoP)
The research operational approvals community of practice (ROA-CoP) supports its members to work more closely on very specific topics pertaining to the review and approval of research studies for their relevant operational impacts. It is a way of developing social capital, nurturing new knowledge, stimulating innovation and sharing knowledge. Outputs can include leading practices, guidelines, knowledge repositories, technical problem and solution discussions, working papers and strategies.
When do we meet? The last Wednesday of every month.
Meeting duration: 1 hour
New research ethics board administrator community of practice (REBA CoP)
The REBA Community of Practice is a collaborative, member-driven community of practice where REBA who are new to the role, new to harmonization, or new to research ethics in BC can connect and foster relationships with their colleagues from other institutions. The purpose of the CoP is to safely share experiences and create an environment of learning for all members of the community, with a focus on mentorship, education and support. Members are invited to send in questions, seek advice and share best practices with the group. Facilitated by a leadership team of experienced REBA from around the province, the New REBA CoP is a close-knit and helpful environment, where REBA can learn from each other (and guest speakers) around procedural, technical and theoretical topics.
When do we meet? The second Thursday of every month.
Meeting duration: 1 hour