What is a Research Ethics Board (REB) – and Why it Matters
A Research Ethics Board (REB) ensures that research involving human participants is designed and conducted ethically, responsibly, and in accordance with national standards. REB review protects the rights, dignity, safety, and well-being of participants, while supporting researchers in meeting ethical and regulatory requirements.
At St. Clair College, REB review is a critical part of responsible research practice. Ethical oversight helps ensure that research:
- Respects informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality.
- Minimizes risk and maximizes potential benefit
- Upholds accountability, transparency, and integrity
- Meets institutional, funding, and partner requirements
REB review is not a barrier to research, it is a safeguard that strengthens trust, credibility, and impact. By embedding ethics into the research process, St. Clair College supports research that is respectful, compliant, and aligned with our values and community responsibilities.
How REB Works at St. Clair College
St. Clair College works collaboratively with approved external REB partners to facilitate ethics review for eligible research activities.
When REB review is required, the College:
- Refers research projects to qualified and related external REB partners
- Supports researchers in navigating the submission and review process
- Ensures that ethics oversight aligns with national guidelines and partner standards
- Maintains institutional accountability throughout the research lifecycle
This partnership-based approach allows St. Clair College to ensure independent, rigorous, and appropriate ethics reviews, while focusing internal resources on researcher support, compliance guidance, and responsible research practices.
Institutional Data Governance and Research Oversight
St. Clair College is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical research involving human participants. All research conducted under the College’s auspices is governed in alignment with the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2) and the Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR Framework).
To support a rigorous and efficient research environment, St. Clair College operates under a Research Ethics Board (REB) reliance model. Through formal agreements with approved partner institutions, an external REB serves as the REB of record, providing independent ethics review, approval, and ongoing oversight of research studies.
While ethics review is conducted externally, institutional responsibility for research governance remains with St. Clair College. The College maintains oversight to ensure compliance with approved research protocols, adherence to national ethical standards, appropriate data stewardship, and alignment with evolving research security and accountability expectations.
Through this governance framework, St. Clair College ensures that research activities are ethically sound, audit-ready, and conducted with integrity, transparency, and accountability.