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Research ethics

Supporting research ethics

For more than 15 years, we have supported BC’s research ethics community to build an environment where health research involving people, their data or their biological materials is carried out in a respectful, just and compassionate way.

Streamlining review

We support ethics harmonization (formerly known as the BC Ethics Harmonization Initiative), a province-wide effort to streamline ethics reviews for multi-site studies.

This model, co-developed with BC health research partners, is now in use by all BC health authorities, most research universities, and many colleges.

This ongoing work is led by Clinical Trials British Columbia, part of Health Research BC.

Learn more (visit ClinicalTrialsBC.ca)

Research Approvals Processes Project

We work with the BC Ministry of Health on the Research Approvals Processes Project (RAPP), a provincial initiative to streamline operational approvals, ethics reviews, contracts and agreements, data access and privacy reviews.

Drawing on both historic and current knowledge of research processes, we participate on RAPP’s steering committee and subject matter expert working groups, while also facilitating engagement with the research ethics and clinical trials communities.

Learn more

Photo from left to right, top to bottom: Dr. Jeffrey Reading, Dr. Stirling Bryan, Dr. Krista Stelkia, Mark Matthew, Gillian Corless, Dr. Evan Adams, Tara Erb.

Indigenizing research ethics

We are committed to supporting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis-led health research that is self-governed, culturally grounded, and aligned with community priorities. This commitment is a core organizational priority and a long-term investment in reconciliation and equity in health research.

Aligned with our commitments, we are gathering resources to help researchers and research ethics offices and boards engage in research involving First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.