Course Based Research

Policy Concerning Review of Minimum Risk Undergraduate Research that is part of a Course Requirement

Individual units within the University of Regina (i.e. departments and one-department faculties) can apply to the Research Ethics Board (REB) for the privilege to conduct their own reviews of undergraduate research that is part of course requirements and that involves minimum risk to subjects. The REB will consider and approve or reject the request. The following conditions must be met:

• Tri-Council guidelines for research ethics review and monitoring of research must be followed.
• The REB's ethics application form must be used.
• The REB's consent form guidelines must be followed. The consent form should indicate that the project "was approved by the Research Ethics Review Committee of the Department of X, University of Regina, with authorization from the University's Research Ethics Board", instead of indicating that it has been approved by the University's Research Ethics Board, and the contact information of the REB Chair must be included.
• The completed ethics application forms of approved projects will be submitted to the REB and will be filed by the REB secretary.
• Each project must be reviewed by a minimum of three referees.
• A member of the REB should sit on the unit's ethics review committee.
• REB members that sit in unit review committees of undergraduate research must provide regular reports to the REB (during the REB regular meetings) about the activities of their unit review committees and the nature of the projects that have been approved.
• Unit approvals are valid for one year and can be renewed for up to five years with the submission of a satisfactory annual report. The REB's annual report form can be used for this purpose.
• Independent projects and honours theses must be approved by the REB and cannot be approved by the unit review committees.
• The REB has the right to terminate the ethics review privileges of any unit that has been approved to review undergraduate minimum risk research at any time.
• These policies can be changed by the REB at any time.

Approved by the REB on September 19, 2000.