UREB Meetings and Deadlines:

If your ethics proposal requires a Full-Committee Review, please ensure that the proposals are received a MINIMUM of 3 weeks prior to the UREB Meeting.

Please note that:

  • Researchers must allow sufficient lead time for research ethics review and clearance prior to beginning any research with human participants.
  • No research with human participants or their data can begin until research ethics clearance is granted.
  • Time for revisions/clarifications to your application must be factored into your overall research timeline.
  • Due to the volume of minimal risk ethics applications that are received and processed, researchers may reasonably expect initial comments from UREB reviewers within 3-4 weeks from the receipt of the application.
  • Initial comments will be comprised of requests for revisions/clarifications, additional supporting documentation, or approval for the application for ethics approval as presented.
  • Researchers should make every effort to highlight requested revisions/clarifications in some form (e.g. bold, highlight or track-changes option). By clearly indicating where revisions/clarifications have been made, the reviewers are able to locate these quickly, resulting in a quicker reply. 0
  • For research ethics applications that exceed minimal risk and therefore require a full committee review, the UREB must receive your application at least 3 weeks prior to a scheduled meeting. Applications will be adjudicated at the meeting and the Chair will then advise of the outcome within ten working days of the meeting (approval as presented, or revisions/clarifications required, or unable to approve as presented.) The rationale will be provided by the Chair.
  • Research that does not exceed minimum risk are reviewed on an on-going basis and are usually cleared to proceed outside of UREB meetings. Minimum risk studies normally do not require a REB meeting to obtain clearance.

Fall 2024 Meetings

September 23, 2024
October 21, 2024
November 25, 2024
December 11, 2024

Winter 2025 Meetings

January 28, 2025
February 25, 2025
March 25, 2025
April 22, 2025
May 27, 2025
June 24, 2025

July 2025
The UREB normally does not meet in July. Meetings will be convened should special circumstances arise (e.g., some emergent research deemed urgent by the UREB and Researcher; research related to a publicly declared emergency – See REB.SOP.501; or for full committee reviews). Minimum Risk reviews will continue as normal.

August 2025 Hiatus:
The UREB will not be accepting new applications for the month of August 2025 with the exception of some emergent research deemed urgent by the UREB and Researcher, or research related to a publicly declared emergency – See REB.SOP.501. The deadline to submit new applications during the summer is July 25, 2024. New applications received after this date will be processed and sent for review on September 2, 2025.

The UREB will continue to process the following items in August*:

  • Revisions/Clarifications for applications already under review prior to July 25th
  • Requests for Modifications or Renewals for current studies
  • Changes to Study Personnel
  • Final reports and file closures
  • Unanticipated or Adverse Research Event Reports (including Privacy Breaches related to research studies)

*Note that there may be delays in processing these items due to volume and/or membership leaves (e.g., vacations)