Any research conducted at Sheridan or undertaken by Sheridan faculty, staff or students involving human participants must be reviewed and approved by the Sheridan Research Ethics Board (REB). Applications for review should be submitted to the REB using the appropriate guidelines and forms.

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Terms of Reference

Mission

Sheridan recognizes the importance of the preservation of dignity and the ethical treatment of any human participants involved in research. The mission of the Research Ethics Board (REB) is to ensure that research affiliated with Sheridan involving human participants meets the highest ethical standards. To do this, Sheridan follows the guidelines set out in the Tri-Council Policy Statement on Ethics Conduct Involving Humans.

Research ethics are put in place to protect research participants with respect to:

• Human dignity and vulnerable persons;
• Free and informed consent;
• Voluntary participation;
• Privacy and confidentiality;
• Justice and inclusiveness;
• Trustworthiness and honesty;
• Balance of potential harms and benefits;
• Minimization of harm and maximization of benefit.
  

Download Sheridan’s Human Subjects Policy PDF >>

Research Ethics Board Membership

Chair - Kirsten Madsen, Ph.D., Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Access (FLAA)

Dayla Abdulla, Ph.D., Professor, Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies (FAHCS)

Anthony Falikowski, Ph.D., Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Access (FLAA)

Angela Iarocci, Professor, Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design (FAAD)

Paul Jeffrey, Professor, Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies (FAHCS)

Mary Louise Noce, Ph.D., Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Access (FLAA)

Carol Riggs, Professor, Faculty of Business (FOB)

Edward Sykes, Ph.D., Professor, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology (FAST)

External - Bruce Schneider, Ph.D., (Psychology), University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)

REB Coordinator - Francesca Abbuzzese, Research Manager, Applied Research & Innovation

REB Coordinator – Dianna Dinevski, Research Executive Assistant, Applied Research & Innovation

Meetings

The Research Ethics Board meets the last week of every month, except for December, July, and August when meetings are suspended. All applications must be complete and submitted to Sheridan's Applied Research office by the 15th of every month. Applications submitted after this date will not be reviewed until the next scheduled meeting.

Mandate

The mandate of the REB is:

• To keep current on ethical issues related to research involving human participants, to educate the Sheridan community on these issues, and to inform policies on these matters.
• To review, approve, propose modifications to, reject, or terminate any proposed or ongoing research that involves human participants conducted at Sheridan, or that is conducted by Sheridan faculty, staff, or students.
• To ensure a mechanism is in place for the review and monitoring of ongoing research, and the review of all amendments to existing research ethics proposals.
• To serve as a resource to the research community on guidelines and procedures relating to the ethical conduct of research with human participants.

1. Complete the REB Application Form and attach all required supporting documentation (see Submission Checklist below).
2. Verify the entire application package for completeness.
3. Submit a copy in electronic format, including all necessary signatures, to Sheridan's Applies Research Office to the attention of Sheridan Applied Research Administrator Francesca Abbruzzese at francesca.abbruzzese@sheridaninstitute.ca.
4. Submit an original hard copy to Sheridan's Applied Research Office to the attention of Sheridan Applied Research Administrator Francesca Abbruzzese, Room J114, Trafalgar Campus.
   

Download Sheridan’s Human Subjects Policy PDF>>

Submission Checklist:

The following forms/attachments may be required:

• Completed checklist;
• Application form, verified for completeness and accuracy;
• Consent/Assent form(s) on Sheridan Letterhead (please note: a separate consent form is required for audio or video taping)
• Liability Waiver (if applicable);
• Evidence of REB approval from other institutions and/or agencies where this research is being conducted (if applicable);
• Letter(s) of support from collaborating agencies/institutions/companies (if applicable).

Study Renewal and Completion Instructions

Ongoing research is subject to continuing ethics review. The Chair of the REB must be notified of any significant proposed changes to the research plan or research protocol before such changes are implemented.

Contacting the REB:

For general inquiries, queries about the status of applications, renewals, REB meetings, and copies of documents:

Francesca Abbruzzese, Sheridan Applied Research Administrator

Telephone: (905) 845-9430, ext. 8634

Email: francesca.abbruzzese@sheridaninstitute.ca

For consultation regarding ethical issues, REB decisions, and REB policies:

Dr. Kirsten Madsen, Sheridan REB Chair

Telephone: (905) 845-9430, ext. 2795

Email: kirsten.madsen2@sheridaninstitute.ca