Change to Ethics Requirements for Course Assignments

If your course includes an assignment where students learn about conducting research through interaction with human participants, please read the updated Guide for Instructors on Course-Based Research Activities and Ethics Review. The Tri-Agencies have recently revised the TCPS2 guidance on when a course-based research activity requires ethics review, and some assignments that previously did not require review may now need to be reviewed for McMaster to be in compliance with the TCPS2. The Guide outlines the change to the TCPS2 and provides examples of assignments that require course-based ethics review and assignments where review is not required. It also provides information on the review process for course-based research activities.

Starting with the Spring 2021 cohort of courses, the McMaster Research Ethics Board and its Student Research Ethics Committees aim to have all courses be in compliance with the TCPS2 guidance, as applicable. It is recommended to submit course-based ethics applications by early April to have approval in place at the start of Spring courses. Note that a new ethics application for the course is not required each year as the original approval can be renewed annually, with changes to the assignment addressed via amendments. Please contact the MREB Secretariat if you have any questions – ethicsoffice@mcmaster.ca.