Research Ethics Board

The Research Ethics Board meets on a monthly basis except during the summer (July and August).  A response to your application is normally received within two weeks of the Board's deliberations. Please note Board meeting dates differ from the submission dates for applications.

Applications are to be submitted electronically, using the StFX ROMEO Researcher Portal by 12 pm (noon) on the submission deadline date (or before). Please ensure that all supporting materials (e.g., copies of consent forms, surveys, etc) are included as a single document, and numbered consecutively. Applications received after the 12-noon deadline will be reviewed at the next month's meeting.

NOTE: The REB does not meet during July and August.

Submission deadlines are as follows: 

• Monday, September 16, 2024
• Friday, October 11, 2024
• Monday, November 18, 2024
• Monday, December 9, 2024
• Monday, January 13, 2025
• Friday, February 14, 2025
• Monday, March 17, 2025
• Monday, April 14, 2025
• Friday, May 16, 2025
• Monday, June 16, 2025

Researchers interested in submitting an application for ethics approval must do so by using the StFX ROMEO Researcher Portal. Applications must be received by the Submission Deadline in order to be considered at the next meeting. You are encouraged to download and review the application template before completing your application online (the application for Undergraduate Honours students can be found under the forms and templates tab). Instructions:

1. After logging in to ROMEO, click Apply New (upper right).
2. Choose Research Ethics Board (REB) Application.
3. Follow instructions, complete all sections, upload file attachments. 
4. You may save and close and exit at any time, but to continue editing in a new session, go to Role: Principal Investigator, select Applications: Drafts, then Edit. Continue editing. 
5. Save, press submit. In the popup box type “OK”. You will receive a confirmation of submission email message.
6. Be sure to always click on “log out” in the upper right corner, whenever you finish a ROMEO session.

Please ensure that your submission is free of spelling, grammatical and typographical errors. Applications found to contain multiple errors may be returned to the researcher for revisions prior to being reviewed by the Board.

Please consult the following documents:

• Commonly Requested Changes (1 April 2016).
• Flesch-Kincaid analysis: Question 5.2 on the REB application deals with Plain Language Usage. If you are concerned about the reading/comprehension level of your participants, Microsoft offers an analysis tool that can assess the grade level of a document. You may find this useful to determine if the content of your research is appropriate for the participants involved. Flesch Kincaid document

Secondary data use involves the use of research data that was collected for a purpose that is different than the proposed use.  REB approval is not necessary if the data is publicly accessible.  

Researchers proposing to make use of the data set for secondary data analysis must use the "secondary use of data application" form in Romeo.  

Applications must be received by the submission deadline to be considered at the next meeting.  You are encouraged to download and review the application template before completing your application online.  

Instructions:

1. After logging in to ROMEO, click Apply New (upper right).
2. Choose Secondary use of data Application.
3. Follow instructions, upload file attachments. 
4. You may save and close and exit at any time, but to continue editing in a new session, go to Role: Principal Investigator, select Applications: Drafts, then Edit. Continue editing. 
5. Save, press submit. In the pop-up box type “OK”. You will receive a confirmation of submission email message.
6. Be sure to always click on “log out” in the upper right corner, whenever you finish a ROMEO session.

If you are external to StFX and already have a project approved by another institution, or you are internal to StFX and are part of a team where you already have a project approved by another institution, you may request an expedited review. All changes and events (protocol, funding, file renewal, closure, etc) should be reviewed at the first approving institution and StFX should be notified when these changes have been made. Instructions:

1. After logging in to ROMEO, click Apply New (upper right).
2. Choose Research Ethics Board (REB) Application (expedited, external).
3. Follow instructions, upload file attachments. 
4. You may save and close and exit at any time, but to continue editing in a new session, go to Role: Principal Investigator, select Applications: Drafts, then Edit. Continue editing. 
5. Save, press submit. In the pop-up box type “OK”. You will receive a confirmation of submission email message.
6. Be sure to always click on “log out” in the upper right corner, whenever you finish a ROMEO session.

1. After logging in to ROMEO, click Apply New (upper right).
2. Choose Research Ethics Board (REB) Application (approved minimal risk, external).
3. Follow instructions, upload file attachments. 
4. You may save and close and exit at any time, but to continue editing in a new session, go to Role: Principal Investigator, select Applications: Drafts, then Edit. Continue editing. 
5. Save, press submit. In the pop-up box type “OK”. You will receive a confirmation of submission email message.
6. Be sure to always click on “log out” in the upper right corner, whenever you finish a ROMEO session.

Ethics approval is required for all undergraduate research with human participants.

Honours Students. In accordance with Tri-Council policy, all honours students' research with human participants must be approved by the University Research Ethics Board.

1. Honours students must download this WORD StFX Research Ethics Board (REB) application form, and complete and submit it to the departmental or program Ethics Committee.
2. Once that review is complete, the honours student will submit the approved and signed ethics application to the university REB through the ROMEO Researcher Portal.
3. Once REB review is completed, the approved protocol and approval letter will be made accessible to both the student and supervisor in ROMEO.

Please consult the following documents:

• Commonly Requested Changes (1 April 2016).
• Flesch-Kincaid analysis: Question 5.2 on the REB application deals with Plain Language Usage. If you are concerned about the reading/comprehension level of your participants, Microsoft offers an analysis tool that can assess the grade level of a document. You may find this useful to determine if the content of your research is appropriate for the participants involved. Flesch Kincaid document

This process is intended to recognize departmental expertise in subject areas and to meet the Tri-Council guidelines. The StFX REB does not wish to delay honours students' research, so every effort will be made to review these projects in an efficient manner. However, special attention will be paid to research projects involving high risk and/or particularly vulnerable groups of participants.

Ethics approval is required for all undergraduate research with human participants.

Non-Thesis Undergraduate Research. In accordance with Tri-Council policy, all student research with human participants must be approved by the University Research Ethics Board.

1. Non-thesis undergraduate students must download this WORD StFX Research Ethics Board (REB) application form,  and complete and submit it to the departmental or program Ethics Committee.
2. Once that review is complete, the non-thesis undergraduate student will submit the approved and signed ethics application to the university REB through the ROMEO Researcher Portal.
3. Once REB review is completed, the approved protocol and approval letter will be made accessible to both the student and supervisor in ROMEO.

Please consult the following documents:

• Commonly Requested Changes (1 April 2016).
• Flesch-Kincaid analysis: Question 5.2 on the REB application deals with Plain Language Usage. If you are concerned about the reading/comprehension level of your participants, Microsoft offers an analysis tool that can assess the grade level of a document. You may find this useful to determine if the content of your research is appropriate for the participants involved. Flesch Kincaid document

This process is intended to recognize departmental expertise in subject areas and to meet the Tri-Council guidelines. The StFX REB does not wish to delay non-thesis undergraduate students' research, so every effort will be made to review these projects in an efficient manner. However, special attention will be paid to research projects involving high risk and/or particularly vulnerable groups of participants.

Ethics approval for course-based research will be reviewed at the departmental level.  Upon approval by the REC applicants shall upload the signed form on Romeo, as an expedited application.

1. Download this WORD form, complete and submit it to the departmental or program Ethics Committee.
2. Once that review is complete, submit the approved and signed ethics application to the university REB through the ROMEO Researcher Portal.
3. Once REB review is completed, the approved protocol and approval letter will be made accessible in ROMEO.

The REB administrative assistant notifies the Research Grants Office (RGO) and the Finance Services when ethics approval has been granted and when REB approval has been extended for another year.

Anniversary dates: You are required to submit reports to the REB on or before the anniversary date. This will be required each year following approval until the project is reported to be completed, up to a maximum of five years. It is the responsibility of the principal investigator to have these reports completed and submitted on time. You will be reminded of this obligation as the anniversary of the original approval approaches. 

If a project is not officially closed with the REB before the next anniversary date, the principal investigator will receive a Notice of Approaching Anniversary. The project can be formally declared as complete at that time.

Protocol changes: The principal investigator is obligated to inform the REB as soon as possible with respect to protocol changes that affect the informed consent of participants (TCPS 2 (2022) - Article 3.3).

Requests for changes in protocol can be made by submitting the REB Protocol Change Request event form in ROMEO (see FAQ for detailed instructions). Principal investigators should consider the changes in the levels of risk and vulnerability of the participants and how they plan to address these changes. The addition of new funding also requires the submission of an REB Protocol Change Request. 

REB Policy Statement (StFX)