Update (January 6, 2025)
Please note, due to unforeseen circumstances, processing times for applications will be delayed. We appreciate your patience.
Welcome to Queen’s University’s dedicated space on Research Ethics. At Queen’s University, we recognize the profound impact research can have on individuals, communities, and society. As such, we place a strong emphasis on upholding the highest standards of research ethics to ensure the well-being, integrity, and dignity of all participants involved in our studies.
We have two Research Ethics Boards (REBs) at Queen’s University: Health Sciences and Affiliated Teaching Hospitals Research Ethics Board (HSREB) and the General Research Ethics Board (GREB). Our REBs diligently review research protocols and applications to ensure ethical guidelines and principles are upheld.
Our web pages serve as a comprehensive resource hub, offering researchers a wealth of information, guidelines, templates, and tools to navigate the complexities of ethical research.
How to start your Ethics application
What do I need to know before I submit my ethics application to the Queen's University REB?
What happens with my ethics application after I submit it to the Queen’s University REB?
Ethics Resources
Access guidelines, templates, training, and other resources that will support you in preparing your Ethics application.
Weekly virtual drop-in session
The Research Ethics Office is hosting a weekly virtual drop-in session, held every Thursday between 10 - 11 am.
The aim is to support our research community in the ethics application process. If we cannot answer your question in 5 minutes, we will arrange a separate meeting to help you navigate.
Disclaimer
While we try to accommodate reasonable requests, ethics review is not a quick process. Queen’s REBs are responsible for conducting proportionate review (in relation to level of risk). Full board reviews are conducted according to specific deadlines and scheduled meetings. Delegated reviews are conducted on an ongoing basis. Not every study submitted to GREB or HSREB will be assigned to a full board meeting and may undergo a delegated review. It is the responsibility of the researcher to ensure sufficient time for review, prior to the commencement of the research activity.
Questions? Contact us
Questions about submission of a study to either GREB or HSREB must be addressed through Research Ethics Office (REO), by emailing Research Ethics Manager Meera Sidhu, and may be escalated to the Director of Research Compliance, Training and Ethics Kelly Blair-Matuk.
Queen's Federalwide Assurance Number: FWA00004184
GREB IRB Number: IRB00003062
HSREB IRB Number: IRB00001173