The Community Research Ethics Office (CREO) aims to strengthen and support community-based research. We enable community researchers to easily access research ethics support and review.
Our purpose is to offer a supportive environment that encourages participatory research, ensures the ethical conduct of community-based research, and maximizes research benefits for diverse communities.
Our services are available across Canada, as well as for international organizations and institutions aiming to work with Canadian participant populations.
CREO’s work aligns with the principles in the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2, 2022). All CREO reviewers are certified in applying the TCPS 2. We also follow the First Nations data and information principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP). CREO is a member of the Canadian Association of Research Boards (CAREB).
CREO is dedicated to fully supporting the recommendations, commitments and actions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report.
News
NEW: CREO Templates for Letters of Information and Consent Forms (Dec 9, 2024)
New application process as of May 1, 2024
Ethics Reviews
We conduct reviews of proposed research projects to determine if the projects are ethically sound.
Education
We provide training and educational workshops on the ethical conduct of community-based research.
Consultation
We offer consultations to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.
CREO recognizes the potential benefits, risks and impacts of community research by expecting researchers to make efforts to:
- use stakeholder-based approaches and diverse steering/advisory committees to inform their research
- engage the stakeholder committees and/or participating populations in the development of the research scope and methodologies
- reach out to potentially marginalized populations within their desired population of interest to ensure that the recruitment, participation and benefits are distributed in an accessible, fair, and equitable way
- ensure that the benefits of the community research outweigh the risks of community stigmatization and marginalization