Full Ethics Review: We conduct reviews of proposed research projects to determine if the projects are ethically sound. If you require a review, please download and fully complete the CREO Request for Ethical Review Application and return it as an attachment (Word document only) in an email to: creo@communitybasedresearch.ca. We will send you a confirmation e-mail once your application is received.
Our process: After submitting an application for ethical review, researchers are contacted by the reviewers with suggestions for enhancing the ethical conduct of research within their project. Given that many community based research projects are evolutionary in both design and implementation, our ethical review process may involve ongoing dialogue between the Community Research Ethics Board (CREB) and the researchers. When that dialogue is complete, projects that meet ethical standards in research will receive a statement of ethics approval. That statement should be used on all relevant documents, particularly any information/consent forms which research participants will receive.
Timeline: Approximately 3-5 weeks based on the complexities of the research project.
Our fee: [Note: Our fees have changed as of June 1st, 2020.] Our fees for a research ethics review are based on a sliding scale self-determined by the operating budget of your organization as follows:
| ORGANIZATION TYPE | FEE |
| Nonprofits1 & Charities (Budgets under $100,000) | $100.00 |
| Nonprofits & Charities (Budgets $100,000 – $500,000) | $200.00 |
| Nonprofits & Charities (Budgets $500,000 – $1,000,000) | $300.00 |
| Nonprofits & Charities (Budgets over $1,000,000) | $400.00 |
| Major Institutions, foundations, government, for- profit corporations | $750.00 |
Once you have received approval, if you make any major changes to your research protocols, consent processes, etc., these must be submitted to CREO for further review. There may be an additional charge for this additional review, depending on the extent of the changes you have made and the time it takes for review. See the table below for more information or contact the REB Admin for more information.
Amendments & Phased Project Fees: Fees are now applied when amendments are made to approved projects and phased applications. The fees for changes are based on the same sliding-scale as the original application and reflect the amount of time needed to review the amendments/phases.
The amendment fee structure is as follows:
| Review Fee (Original Application) |
Base Amendment Fee (1/5th of Application Fee) |
Subsequent fees | Max fee |
| $100 | $20 | $20/hr | $100 |
| $200 | $40 | $40/hr | $200 |
| $300 | $60 | $60/hr | $300 |
| $400 | $80 | $80/hr | $400 |
| $750 | $150 | $150/hr | $750 |
Application: Click on the link to download the CREO Application Form.
Please don’t hesitate to contact CREO if you have any questions about the application form or the ethics review process: creo@communitybasedresearch.ca or 1-888-411-2736
Why is receiving an ethics review helpful?
A formal ethical review of your research project…
- Encourages researchers to participate in a process of peer review regarding ethical issues and to promote ethical conduct in community research
- Provides ethical guidance and consultation to community researchers and research participants that do not have access to institutional REB’s
- Does not add pressure by supervising or monitoring research, nor does it prevent research from taking place
- Takes into account the unique considerations of community research and the evolutionary nature of community research in both design and implementation
- Encourages ongoing consultation and guidance in matters of research ethics, which is a process that can result in updated statements from the CREB about the ethical soundness of a project without additional formal reviews
- May help to support the publication of research conducted in the community
- May assist in building the capacity of community organizations to carry-out research internally
- May assist in grant and funding applications
*Ethics Application Revised January 25th 2018