All student research involving human participants, conducted under the auspices of York University—whether at the undergraduate or graduate level—must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate York University Research Ethics Board (REB) before any research activities begin.
Please review the information below to determine the appropriate ethics review process for your project.
Graduate Theses, Dissertations and Pilot Projects
Graduate students conducting research with human participants for the purposes of completing a graduate thesis or dissertation must submit their ethics application through the YU Ethics Review system.
Graduate students are required to submit their thesis/dissertation proposal to the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) prior to submitting an ethics application. Once your proposal is approved, FGS will send you an approval email containing your unique proposal approval number, along with instructions to access the YU Ethics Review system.
Your ethics submission must include proof of proposal approval from FGS. Applications submitted without this documentation will not be accepted for review.
Additional Requirements:
- Complete the TCPS Tutorial.
- All graduate student researchers must complete the TCPS Tutorial to fulfill the required ethics education component. A valid certificate of completion must be uploaded with the ethics application. Applications submitted without this certificate will not be accepted for review.
- All graduate student researchers must complete the TCPS Tutorial to fulfill the required ethics education component. A valid certificate of completion must be uploaded with the ethics application. Applications submitted without this certificate will not be accepted for review.
- Explore the Learning Resources on the Research Ethics Portal website to get familiar with the YU Ethics Review System. These resources will guide you through the online platform and provide step-by-step instructions on how to prepare and submit your ethics application.
For information on how to access and navigate the YU Ethics Review system, please visit the Research Ethics Portal website.
Applications submitted through the YU Ethics Review system are reviewed by a delegated ethics review committee comprised of the Associate Dean(s), Research, Faculty of Graduate studies and the Chair/Vice-Chair of the Human Participants Review Committee (HPRC).
Where delegated reviewers decide that a protocol should not be approved, the protocol will be referred to the HPRC for full board review. Applications will also be referred to the HPRC if the research is considered more than minimal risk.
Please visit the Human Participants in Research section of the Office of Research Ethics website for detailed information on protocol submission deadlines and estimated processing times.
If the research involves Indigenous Peoples, Nations, and Communities, the application will be referred to the Indigenous Research Ethics Board. Please visit the Research Involving Indigenous People, Communities, and Nations section of the Office of Research Ethics website for detailed information on protocol submission deadlines.
Important Reminder: Failure to obtain ethics approval prior to the commencement of research activities is considered both a breach of Senate Policy as well as research misconduct. All such instances of non-compliance will be addressed by the appropriate institutional office.
Course Related Research/Assignments, Undergraduate Theses & Graduate MRPs
All research involving human participants for graduate and undergraduate courses; Undergraduate theses, and Graduate Major Research Papers (MRPs) that is non-funded and minimal-risk must be reviewed by the relevant unit level Delegated Ethics Review Committee. Research subject to review includes, but is not limited to: surveys, questionnaires, interviews, participant observation and secondary data analysis.
For the purposes of research ethics review, “minimal risk” research is defined by the TCPS as research in which the probability and magnitude of possible harms implied by participation in the research is no greater than those encountered by participants in those aspects of their everyday life that relate to the research.
NOTE: Research conducted by students that is more than minimal risk and /or involves clinical trials, must be reviewed by the Human Participants Review Committee (HPRC). Research that involves Indigenous People (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis), Communities, and Nations, must be reviewed by the Indigenous Research Ethics Board (IREB). For these types of research, students are required to submit their ethics application using the YU Ethics Review System. Please contact the Office of Research Ethics (ORE) at ore@yorku.ca for further information or visit the Research Ethics Portal website for guidance on how to submit your application for review
Course-Based Research (Course Assignments) and Undergraduate Theses:
If you are conducting minimal risk, non-funded research involving human participants as part of a graduate course assignment or undergraduate thesis – and your project is not a clinical trial and does not involve Indigenous Peoples, Communities, or Nations – please follow the process below:
- Complete the Individualized Protocol Form
Use the Individualized Protocol: Course Related Research Involving Human Participants form (see Resources & Forms below). - Prepare Your Protocol Package
Include a completed protocol form, informed consent document(s), TCPS certificate, and any relevant materials (e.g., surveys, questionnaires, recruitment tools, etc.) with your application. - Submit for Review
Send the full protocol package to your Unit-Level Delegated Ethics Review Committee for review and approval.
Major Research Paper (MRP) Research:
If you are conducting minimal risk, non-funded research involving human participants in support of an MRP – and your project is not a clinical trial and does not involve Indigenous Peoples, Communities, or Nations – please follow the process below:
- Complete the MRP Protocol Form
Use the MRP Protocol: Research Involving Human Participants form (see Resources & Forms below). - Prepare Your Protocol Package
Include a completed protocol form, informed consent document(s), TCPS certificate, and any relevant materials (e.g., surveys, questionnaires, recruitment tools, etc.) with your application. - Submit for Review
First, submit the full protocol package to your Supervisory/Advisory Committee for review and signature. Then, submit the signed package to your Unit-Level Delegated Ethics Review Committee for final review and approval.
Guidelines and Templates:
Guidelines and Consent Form Templates are available on the Human Participants in Research section of the Office of Research Ethics website.
Forms:
- Ethics Review Requirements - Course Related Research
- Student Researcher Responsibilities
- Individualized Protocol Course Related Research Involving Human Participants
- MRP Protocol: Research Involving Human Participants
- Videoconferencing Platforms and Research with Human Participants
- Renewal Request Form (Course-related research & MRPs)
- Amendment Request Form (Course-related research & MRPs)
- Helpful Tips When Submitting an Ethics Protocol
- TD4 Form for Undergraduate Students
Independent Student Projects
The York University Research Ethics Boards will review independent student-led research projects only if a faculty member is listed on the protocol form as a co-Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator. In these cases, students are required to submit an ethics application using the YU Ethics Review system. For information on how to access and navigate the system, please visit the Research Ethics Portal website.
Please note all student researchers must complete the TCPS tutorial to establish that they have completed the necessary education component and include their certificate of completion with their application. Protocols will not be accepted for review unless a valid TCPS tutorial certificate has been provided.
If you are a Graduate or Undergraduate Course Director
Please visit the Faculty research section of the Office of Research Ethics website for detailed instructions on submitting ethics applications as a Course Director.