Ethics Review

All research projects (whether funded or not) conducted by department members or residents MUST receive ethical approval before being implemented.

There are four research ethics boards at the University. Which REB you apply to is determined by the types of methodologies involved in your study. Descriptions of these REBs is outlined below. Regardless of the methodology, if your study involves patients recruited from a healthcare Institution within Alberta and/or accesses health information as defined in the Health Information Act you MUST apply to REB 3 or REB 4. Applications are to be submitted to the Research Ethics Board as follows:

REB 1:

Reviews research that involves in-person interviews, focus groups, ethnographies, community engagement and instructor-led course-based research assignments. As well, this board reviews ethics applications for all course-based research.

Learn more about REB 1 »

For further information, contact Melanie Pankratow, REB 1 Coordinator, 780-492-7550.

REB 2:

Reviews all interventional research designs including training interventions. This board also reviews research regarding privacy and/or confidentiality. This includes all research where the identification, recruitment and retention of individuals involves access to and/or retention of personally identifiable information.

Learn more about REB 2 »

For further information, contact Melanie Pankratow, REB 2 Coordinator, 780-492-7550.

REB 3: Health Research Ethics Board - Health Panel

Reviews non-invasive health research involving patients, health information, AHS and/or Covenant Health facilities and researchers.

Learn more about REB 3 »

For further information, contact Charmaine Kabatoff, REB 3 Coordinator, 780-492-0302.

REB 4: Health Research Ethics Board - Biomedical Panel

Reviews invasive health research involving patients, health information, AHS and/or Covenant Health facilities and researchers health research. This includes invasive interventions and invasive measures such as administration of drugs, vaccines, surgical procedures, collection of blood etc.

Learn more about REB 4 »

For further information, contact Patricia Lo, REB 4 Coordinator, 780-492-9724 or Ann Moore, REB 4 coordinator, 780-492-6459.

The University of Alberta now uses a web-based ethics system, Research and Ethics Management Online or REMO. Video tutorials to help applicant can be found on the Research Ethics Office website.

For REMO user support, contact
780-492-0459 or reoffice@ualberta.ca.