Research Ethics Board

The Research Ethics Board (REB) reviews the ethical aspects of research proposals involving human participants that will be conducted within The Royal which includes the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and its affiliated sites and the Brockville Mental Health Centre and its associated sites. Research projects involving human participants must be reviewed and approved by the REB before work is started.

Approval from The Royal’s REB confirms the proposed research meets Ethical Conduct and Good Clinical Practice.

Not sure which level of approval you need for your study?

The level of approval required through The Royal’s Research Ethics Board depends on whether a principal investigator (PI) is internal or external as well as if participants are being recruited internally or externally.

For Internal Principal Investigators

Internal PIs include any clinician, researcher, or research trainee working or training at The Royal Ontario Health Care Group (ROHCG).

Internal PIs recruiting internal participants only must:

1. obtain Full Board approval from The Royal’s REB

Internal PIs recruiting external participants only must:

1. obtain Full Board approval from the recruiting institution, not The Royal’s REB

2. submit to The Royal’s REB for administrative approval

Internal PIs recruiting both internal and external participants must:

1. obtain Full Board approval from The Royal’s REB

2. obtain REB approval from the participating institution(s). Contact the participating institution(s) for more information.

For External Principal Investigators

External PIs include any clinician, researcher, or research trainee working or training at an external institution, including all universities and any external Hospital or Research Institute.

External PIs recruiting internal (ROHCG) participants only must:

1. obtain Full Board approval from The Royal’s REB

External PIs recruiting external participants only must:

1. obtain Full Board Approval from their home institution, not The Royal’s REB

2. submit to The Royal REB for administrative approval

External PIs recruiting both internal and external participants must:

1. obtain Full Board approval from their home institution, not The Royal’s REB

2. submit to The Royal REB for administrative approval

Meetings are held on a monthly basis.

The current Chair of the Research Ethics Board is Ann-Marie O'Brien.

How to contact the REB

For information on procedural issues, amendments, issues related to specific protocols regarding ethical and clinical issues, please contact:

Kristi Wilde, MA
Research Ethics Coordinator/Clinical Research Facilitator
Institute of Mental Health Research
Phone: +1 (613) 722-6521 extension 6214
Email: kristi.wilde@theroyal.ca

To confirm whether or not we have received your correspondence; request a copy of lost correspondence; information on status of your protocol; general inquiries about format of submission to REB, please contact:

Heidi Vulin
Administrative Assistant
Research Ethics
Institute of Mental Health Research
Phone: +1 (613) 722-6521 extension 6237
Email: heidi.vulin@theroyal.ca