Dear Members of the Research Community,

In keeping with evolving university guidelines, we are once more updating our in-person human participant research protocols.

Effective May 12th, 2022, you are not required to seek V/ADR approval via the research portal for in-person human participant research. If your protocols will be changing at all, please make sure you submit any necessary amendments to your protocol and receive REB approval before making the changes.

Use of the COVID LOI is still required. However, you will need to switch to a new version – on-campus or fieldwork –  that has been updated based on changes to McMaster’s COVID-19 requirements. For studies cleared by MREB, the updated COVID LOI can be submitted via a For Information Only form, assuming no other changes to procedures that would require an Amendment.

Please continue to refer to the Summary of McMaster University COVID-19 Requirements for In-Person On-Campus Human Participant Research and the Summary of McMaster University COVID-19 Requirements for In-Person Fieldwork Research with Human Participants. Also, please refer to the McMaster Research Ethics Board COVID FAQs or the HiREB website as these continue to be updated, and do not hesitate to reach out to me, your V/ADR or your ethics board staff if you have any additional questions.

As always, if your research takes place at an affiliated site — host hospital or MIP – please adhere to site-specific protocols.

If you are engaged in fieldwork, please adhere to McMaster’s policies and all public health restrictions of the community in which you’re conducting your research. Please also be mindful of evolving travel restrictions and advisories.

I’m looking forward to seeing more of you on campus and wish all a great summer ahead.

Take care,

Karen Mossman, PhD
Vice-President, Research

• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (February 2, 2022)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (January 5, 2022)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (December 17, 2021)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (September 21, 2021)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (September 3, 2021)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (July 20, 2021)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (June 15, 2021)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (June 2, 2021)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (April 7, 2021)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (March 26, 2021)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (February 13, 2021)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (January 16, 2021)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (January 13, 2021)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (December 21, 2020)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (December 18, 2020)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (November 17, 2020)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (July 31, 2020)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (May 22, 2020)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (May 15, 2020)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (May 12, 2020)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (April 23, 2020)
• Update from the VPR: COVID-19 (March 20, 2020)