Ethics Approval

Any research involving human participants that is conducted at UBC facilities (including UBC-affiliated hospitals) or by persons connected to the University must be reviewed and approved by one of UBC’s seven sanctioned Research Ethics Boards (REBs).

Research ethics applications must be submitted electronically through the RISe website. All amendments, renewals, and requests for acknowledgment to previously approved applications must also use RISe. UBC researchers based at one of the affiliated hospital sites or research institutes must submit ethics applications to their local REB. At the discretion of the REB Chair or Manager, a submission may be re-directed to a more appropriate REB. Please consult your local REB administrators if you are not sure which Board you should apply to.

What Type of Research Does the UBC PHC REB Review?

The Providence Health Care REB reviews both clinical and behavioural research being conducted at Providence Health Care sites, including St Paul’s Hospital, Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, St Vincent’s: Langara and Brock Fahrni, Holy Family Hospital, Youville Residence and Marion Hospice.

Activities that fall under Clinical Review include: the administration or testing of drugs, medical devices, medical imaging or diagnostic techniques; and the taking of blood or other specimens. It also includes the analysis of laboratory, physiological, kinesiological or biological data obtained from physical interventions, medical records or clinical studies involving the linkage of data from existing databases.

Activities that fall under Behavioural or social science/humanities include: research that may involve the study of patients or health care providers. Behavioural studies are not clinical and do not involve invasive procedures. They do include research involving interviews, observations, and the administration of questionnaires or tests.

Who Can Submit to the UBC PHC REB?

Researchers who are UBC faculty members or who are staff members of Providence Health Care. Researchers from other institutions, students, and trainees must appoint an individual who holds either a Providence Health Care appointment or a UBC faculty appointment as the principal investigator (PI) for the research, unless the researcher, student or trainee holds a PHC appointment or UBC faculty appointment. Click here for the PHC Policy for Research Involving Human Subjects.

Research at Multiple Sites

If you are a UBC researchers who wishes to conduct research at more than one UBC-affiliated site, you may submit your ethical review to any UBC-affiliated REB. We recommended that you submit to the REB most closely associated with the Institution where you hold your primary appointment.

Each REB has signed an agreement allowing approvals by one UBC-affiliated REB to be recognized by the others. Research conducted by the same researcher at multiple UBC sites needs ethical approval from one UBC sanctioned REB only. For the purpose of allocating resources, most sites will require individual institutional approval.

*NOTE: UBC and Fraser Health REB have now created an affiliation agreement for minimal risk studies - click here for further details.

UBC-Affiliated Research Ethics Boards

Please click on one of the links below for more information on any of the UBC-Affiliated Research Ethics Boards listed below.

Clinical Research Ethics Board (CREB)
Behavioural Research Ethics Board (BREB)
Okanagan REB
UBC-BC Cancer Agency REB
UBC-BC Children's & Women’s Hospital REB

Behavioural Research

PHC REB is responsible for reviewing behavioural or social sciences/humanities research, or research that may involve the study of patients or health care providers. Behavioural studies are not clinical in nature and do not involve any invasive procedures. Studies may involve interviews, observations, or the administration of questionnaires or tests.

Approval is granted on an annual basis according to Tri-Council Policy Statement guidelines. For multi-year studies, approval must be renewed annually and a final report must be filed upon study completion.

Forms and Guidance Notes

To view or download PDF versions of the Forms and Guidance Notes concerning Behaviourial and Clinical Policy and Procedure, please click here.

Clinical Research

PHC REB reviews research that involves surgery, clinical interventions, exercise programs, and/or the analysis of clinical data. Activities that fall under Clinical Review include: the administration or testing of drugs, medical devices, medical imaging or diagnostic techniques; and the taking of blood or other specimens. It also includes the analysis of laboratory, physiological, kinesiological or biological data obtained from physical interventions, medical records or clinical studies involving the linkage of data from existing databases.

Clinical Forms and Guidance Notes

To view or download PDF versions of the Forms and Guidance Notes concerning Clinical Policy and Procedure, please click here.

United States Federal Wide Assurance (FWA)

Under the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Code of Federal Regulations 45: Part 46 A Protection of Human Subjects Section 46.103, every institution engaged in human subjects research supported or conducted by any United States Federal Department or Agency must have assurance of compliance approved by the United States Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). The Assurance formalizes the institution’s commitment to protect human subjects.

OHRP Federalwide Assurance (FWA) and Institutional Review Board (IRB) assurance have been obtained for UBC and the CREB (REB is the Canadian terminology for an IRB). Click on the type of assurance below for more information:

Institutional Review Board
Policy Number IRB00000777 (Expiry Date August 19, 2025)

Federal Wide Assurance
Policy Number FWA00000668 (Expiry Date June 1, 2025)