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Ethics

Western University Research Ethics Board (REB)

Research activities require Western research ethics board (REB) approval. Quality Improvement activities do not require Western REB approval. Complete the Western REB checklist to determine which category your project falls under. At any point in this proccess, contact the Resident Project Coordinator if you have any questions. 

Steps for REB submission

1. Do you need REB? Read the above information and talk with the Resident Project Coordinator.  Further information is available on the Research Western website.
2. Determine if you need to apply for Lawson approval or not (see criteria below). If you do, email Lawson to ask for a new account to access to ReDA and LORA (Lawson systems; this is best done from your LHSC/SJHC email account). Contact the Resident Project Coordinator for help with this process. You need Lawson approval if:
   1. The PI or a member of the research team will rely on their hospital professional staff credentials to conduct the research.
   2. Investigators and/or study staff participate from the following sites: LHSC - Adult Eating Disorder Service (Riverview), Byron Family Medical Centre, Children’s Hospital, Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine, Kidney Care Centre (Westmount), London Regional Cancer Program (LRCP), Southwestern Ontario Regional Base Hospital Program, Stroke Prevention & Atherosclerosis Research, University Hospital (UH), Victoria Family Medical Centre, Victoria Hospital (VH); or SJHC -  St. Joseph's Hospital, Parkwood Institute – Main Building, Parkwood Institute - Mental Health Care, Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care, St. Joseph’s Family Medical and Dental Centre, Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care
   3. Your study uses any resources (e.g. funding, data, facilities, computers/servers, services, and space), hospital staff or patients, biospecimens, or data from any of the sites listed above (in 2-ii.).
3. If you do not need Lawson approval, or you already have Lawson approval, go to WesternREM and create a new account. 
4. Login to WesternREM and click on the "new project" icon, enter your project title, and follow the guidelines on which application to choose (likely HSREB). Select the proper centre, likely Western University.
5. Start filling out the application. Add your project supervisor as the PI, and under "Are there any additional project team members", click yes and add the Resident Project Coordinator by using the "Search User" box. Repeat this process for remaining team members. They can be added once they also have Western REM accounts. Email your team members so that they know they've been added to your application.
6. After you've completed the form and it is reviewed by your team, including the Resident Project Coordinator, ensure your project supervisor is the principle investigator as they need to submit the application. You can then send the application (via WesternREM) to the project PI for their signature. 
7. Ensure your project supervisor receives a confirmation email that your application was sent.
8. Be aware of the specific timelines that Research Western's Office of Human Research Ethics has. For the Health Sciences Research Ethics Board Delegated Level 1 submissions (i.e. retrospective chart reviews), submissions are reviewed approximately two weeks after they are received. For Delegated Level 2 submissions (i.e. prospective studies), submissions are reviews approximately three to four weeks after they are received. In both cases, these timelines are volume-dependent. 
9. Do you need other approvals?
   1. Centre for Studies in Family Medicine Research Committee (CSFM_RC) approval (project at more than one Western Family Medicine centre)
   2. Centre Research Committee (CRC) approval (project at one Western Family Medicine centre)
   3. Lawson approval (projects at VFMC, BFMC, or SJFMC or other centres listed above - this should already be determined)
   4. Other types of approval