Research

Health Regions & Schools

Typically health regions and schools require both ethics and operational approval. Common forms and consent templates have been developed for a harmonized ethics review between the University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina and the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region; operational approval remains with the specific health region or school board. An overview is provided below; it is the researcher's responsibility to be fully apprised of Board and Health Region policies and procedures.

Saskatoon Health Region (SHR)

In addition to the UofS ethics review, you must obtain operational approval from the Health Region which includes completion of a Department Impact Assessment. Ethics approval is not required to conduct the Department Impact Assessment, but it's a good idea to prepare the ethics application and the impact assessment at the same time.
SHR issued a new research policy effective December 2011. For full details consult the SHR's Research Approval web site. Questions? Contact SHR's Research Approval Coordinator, Shawna Weeks (shawna.weeks@saskatoonhealthregion.ca; 655-1442). Operational approval is usually granted within three to five working days of receipt of the complete application.

Briefly, the steps are:

1. Submit your ethics application to the UofS REB for review and approval.
   
2. Complete the SHR's Operational Approval Application Form (see Resources on SHR's Research Approval web page). Start working on the section for Department Impact Assessment as soon as possible. Note signatures are required from relevant department managers (an email from the manager's SHR account confirming approval is acceptable).
3. Email the Operational Approval application form, including the Ethics Certificate of Approval or Notice of Exemption, Research Ethics application and if applicable the Approved Consent form to shawna.weeks@saskatoonhealthregion.ca or mail the above documents to:
   
   Research Approval Coordinator
   Post Office Box 118
   Royal University Hospital
   103 Hospital Drive
   Saskatoon  SK
   S7N 0W8

Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region (RQHR)

Currently the request for operational approval has only been incorporated into the biomedical ethics application. Please contact RQHR Ethics on how to obtain operational approval for behavioural research (researchrqhr@rqhealth.ca).

Other Health Regions

Every health region has its own policies regarding ethical approval of research. While your ethics application to the UofS REB is being developed, contact the relevant health region to inquire about these policies

Schools

Most school boards have their own policies on research in their schools. Contact the school board(s) to discuss their requirements for ethical approval, particularly if your research involves children who are minors and/or their families, as this will likely require parental consent and full-board review, and will take more time to process.