- Professional skill development and entrepreneurial activities require ethics review by a University of Waterloo research ethics board if the proposed activities are part of a research study or the product being developed is to be tested on humans as part of a research study
- Any equipment or devices to be tested or used on humans at the University of Waterloo require review by the Safety Office prior to use even if not being used in a research study
- Ethics review of professional skill development and entrepreneurial activities that are not fee-for-service is encouraged for the following activities when the proposed activities involve humans as these activities are things typically viewed as greater than minimal risk (i.e., not things a person typically experiences in their day to day life):
- Sensitive questions or requests for highly personal information (e.g., personal health information, sexually explicit information, etc.)
- Involvement of individuals who may be vulnerable in the context of the activity (e.g., children or youth in schools, elderly living in long-term care or retirement facilities, patients in hospital, individuals with a history of trauma or abuse)
- Involves the collection of human biological materials (e.g., saliva, urine, blood, tissue, cells)
- Involves the testing of devices or equipment (commercially produced or newly invented or built at the University of Waterloo) which could put a person in a situation that may increase the magnitude or probability of harm or create safety or health concerns or risks for individuals
- Examples: possibility of burns, falls, or other injuries, use of lasers, toxins or pathogens, biohazards, light to the eye, device or equipment emits energy into the body, ingestion of products where the risks are unknown or unproven or use nanoparticles (This is not an exhaustive list and given simply by way of example.)
- This may also include equipment or devices to collect physiological or biometric, a medical device, drug, or natural health product, or food processing equipment
- Decisions whether an activity should undergo an ethics review is done on a case-by-case basis.
Definitions
Course-based research - requires ethics review
Professional skill development and entrepreneurial activities - may not require ethics review