Research with Human Participants: Research Guidelines

The first two documents listed below plus the information found on the Office of Research Ethics (humans) website are the guidelines and policies relevant to University of Waterloo researchers conducting research with humans. These guidelines and policies, and codes govern the review and conduct of research with human participants by UW researchers, as well as research by non-UW researchers which involves UW faculty, staff, or students as participants. The third document addresses the accountability of the university to the tri-councils (i.e., CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC) with respect to the conduct of research involving human participants.

Professional Codes of Ethics of relevant professional associations must be followed by researchers in those disciplines when conducting research with humans. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides a pdf compilation of human subjects protections regulations by country, which is particularly relevant to researchers conducting research in countries other than Canada.

Researchers planning to conduct health research (or other human research) with Aboriginal Peoples are to follow CIHR's Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People.

Guidelines for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research can be found on the CIHR website.

Regulations concerning the use of drugs, foods, natural health products, and medical devices in research with humans, and research conducted in other countries or Nunavut can be found under Types of Research on this website. Students or faculty researchers conducting multi-site research or recruiting participants, for example in organizations or businesses, should refer to the Human Participant Research Guidelines: Off-Campus Research.

All UW faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students conducting research with humans on or off campus must ensure that their projects undergo prior ethics review and clearance through the Office Of Research Ethics. The ethics application form is to be used . Researchers can access sample materials to assist them with the application process.

In addition, any person(s) not affiliated with UW who wishes to conduct research on campus with UW faculty, students and/or staff as participants is bound by the same ethics review requirements.

All Canadian institutions receiving Tri-Agency funding signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Granting Agencies -- NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC -- in 2002. Under the MOU the Tri-agencies "will only fund researchers, Institutions or partnering organizations that comply with the ethical principles and articles of the Tri-Council Policy Statement."

Please contact the ORE if you have any questions regarding the guidelines and policies governing the conduct of research with humans at UW.

Guidelines and Policies