New Processes for approvals of human participant research

On November 22 the following email was shared with graduate students

To: Graduate students

From: Charmaine B. Dean, Vice-President, Research and International

Subject: New Processes for approvals of human participant research

Based on the province’s most recent reopening plans and management of COVID-19 for the long term, the University of Waterloo is further adjusting our review and approval of human participant research activity.

• All human participant research, both on-and off-campus, will be handled by the Principal Investigators and Faculties.
• On and off-campus human participant research safety plans will transition to a simplified plan.
• Faculty Safety Leads will continue to play a critical role.

These changes bring the institution close to pre-pandemic approval structures.
Departments/Faculties will have oversight of the monitoring of resume research processes including:

• On- and off-campus human participant research
• On-campus laboratory research work
• Domestic visitors to campus (research activities)
• Domestic field work travel
• Inbound international research visitors to Waterloo campus
• Requests to return to Waterloo campus to use office space

You can find the following process for approving human-participant research under the accountabilities section of the COVID-19 information website.
 
Process for approving on- and off-campus human participant research

1. PI downloads and completes the human participant safety plan from Safety Office website under “Tools.”
2. PI orients research team to the plan and all team members acknowledge plan with a signature.
3. PI seeks Unit Head signature.
4. PI provides a signed copy to Faculty or Departmental Safety Officer for ongoing monitoring and oversight of safety protocols.
5. PI posts safety plan in laboratory for on-campus studies or electronically in shared drive for off-campus studies.

Ethics application submission is no longer conditional on approved resume request and safety plan Human participant research (on and off campus) participant research (on and off campus).