The University of Windsor Research Ethics Board (REB) and the Office of Research Ethics (ORE) are reminding researchers of changes that affect the ethical treatment of research projects involving humans and/or their biologicals identified in the new Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – TCPS 2 (2022).
A companion document that highlights the changes made in the newest policy edition has been provided by the Panel on Research Ethics (PRE).
The REB is reminding researchers that in order to be ethically compliant with respect to research involving humans or their biological materials, these changes should be reviewed, and any necessary considerations addressed. While the PRE companion document should help to direct researchers to sections in the TCPS 2 (2022) that may be related to their work, the REB strongly advises reviewing the identified Chapters and Sections in their entirety to ensure compliance with the updated TCPS 2.
Please be reminded that research which must be reviewed by the REB prior to its commencement according to Article 2.1 of the TCPS 2 (2022) includes living human participants and human biological materials, as well as human embryos, fetuses, fetal tissue, reproductive materials, and stem cells. This applies to materials derived from living and deceased individuals.
Article 2.1 defines research as an undertaking intended to extend knowledge through a disciplined inquiry and/or systematic investigation. The term "disciplined inquiry" refers to an inquiry that is conducted with the expectation that the method, results, and conclusions will be able to withstand the scrutiny of the relevant research community.
The REB has also been working towards updating its forms and policies to align with the changes in the TCPS 2 (2022) and researchers should refer to the REB website for the most up-to-date information and for accessing the most current REB forms for their submissions.
Any questions or concerns should be directed to the ORE ethics@uwindsor.ca.