All research involving human participants requires review and approval by the relevant York University Research Ethics Board prior to commencement of research activities - this includes research led by students but with whom Faculty members collaborate.
Protocol Submission for Ethics Review
Update – Launch of YU Ethics Review Platform:
York’s Office of Research Ethics is excited to announce the launch of YU Ethics Review a user-friendly online system for submitting research ethics review protocols. This new platform replaces our 14-year-old legacy system and will officially launch on January 20, 2026, for all research involving human participants.
In alignment with the annual deadline for protocol submissions, HPRC and IREB will not accept new protocols submitted after November 14, 2025.
All new faculty and thesis/dissertation student research involving human participants must be submitted through the YU Ethics Review system, starting January 20, 2026.
Before submitting your protocol, please review all relevant guidelines and templates available on the Office of Research Ethics website.
Faculty conducting research involving human participants must submit their ethics applications through the online ethics review system, YU Ethics Review. Informed Consent Form templates can be found in the Consent Form Templates section below.
For guidance on using the online system, visit the Research Ethics Portal. If you experience any issues accessing the system, please contact oretech@yorku.ca for support.
Submission Review Times
Initial application review: Expect the review feedback to be sent to you 25 to 30 business days after your application has been submitted for review.
Revisions: Expect the review of your revisions to take 10 to 15 business days after being submitted for review.
Modifications: Expect the review of amendments to take 10 to 15 business days after being submitted for review.
These times may increase during peak periods such as in March, June, and November.
This duration may also vary if the application is incomplete when received.
While ethics review is not required at the application stage (with some exceptions), as research funds will not be administered without ethics approval in place, it is advisable to submit protocols for review well in advance of award notification dates.
Special Circumstances – Research conducted in schools, hospitals and/or institutions where ethics approval and/or institutional permissions are required
Certain research contexts require additional ethics review processes and approvals. Specifically, but not limited to, research conducted in educational institutions, hospitals and/or medical clinics, research conducted in foreign countries and research conducted in, on or about First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities all require additional ethics review processes and/or approvals to be obtained.
Guidelines are in place to assist researchers in navigating the additional ethics review requirements. Please consult the relevant Guidelines or contact the ORE at ore@yorku.ca for further assistance.
Committee Decisions and Researcher Responses
Ethics protocols are reviewed by the relevant ethics committee through a consensus-based process. If consensus cannot be reached, the majority decision will be communicated to the researcher, along with a notation of any dissenting opinions.
Researchers will receive committee decisions electronically, either as a summary of comments requiring clarification or revisions to application documents, or a certificate of ethics approval.
If revisions or clarifications are requested, researchers must submit their written responses electronically through the online ethics review system. All communication regarding committee decisions must be directed through the Office of Research Ethics.