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Research & Innovation

HiREB or MREB?

In general, HiREB reviews research conducted through the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS), St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) and/or Niagara Health, and MREB reviews research conducted through the Faculties of Science, Social Sciences, Humanities, Engineering, and the DeGroote School of Business, as well as any other research conducted at McMaster that is outside of FHS.

However, there are several study procedures and other criteria that would require a project to be reviewed by HiREB, even if being done through a faculty other than FHS. There are also a few cases where you will need to contact the HiREB or MREB ethics office to obtain a determination on which REB will review.

Please read the criteria below before starting an application to ensure that you are applying to the correct REB. The REBs have separate application systems, so if you apply to the wrong REB you will have to then complete a new application for the other REB. If you have any questions, please see the contact information for HiREB and MREB at the bottom of the page.

Submit an Application to MREB if …

  • The Principal Investigator (PI) is appointed by Science, Social Science, Humanities, Engineering, the DeGroote School of Business, or a department/institute outside of FHS (e.g., MacPherson, IRA). Additionally, none of the criteria in the HiREB section below apply to the project.
  • For student research, the project is being done as part of a student course or thesis in Science, Social Science, Humanities, Engineering or the DeGroote School of Business, and the Faculty Supervisor’s appointment is to one of those faculties. Additionally, none of the criteria in the HiREB section below apply to the project.

Submit an Application to HiREB if any of the following apply.

  • The Principal Investigator (PI) is appointed by FHS, HHS, SJHH and/or Niagara Health.
  • For student research, the project is being done as part of a student course or thesis in FHS. This applies even if the Faculty Supervisor is from outside FHS.
  • The focus of the study is on FHS faculty, students, or staff (e.g., a study focused on the experience of medical school students), as opposed to a campus wide recruitment that may include FHS faculty, students, or staff.
  • Recruitment of patients or staff is through HHS, SJHH and/or Niagara Health, or the project includes the use of patient records from those institutions.
  • The project uses HHS, SJHH, and/or Niagara Health facilities, such as hospital laboratories, medical testing facilities, computer servers, etc.
  • The project includes invasive (or medical) procedures such as administering drugs, blood draws, muscle biopsies, intramuscular EMG, X-ray, MRI, TMS, tDCS, ultrasound, etc. Note that procedures that only involve sensors on the skin can generally be reviewed by MREB (e.g., EEG, ECG, surface EMG, GSR, etc.). If unsure, it is best to contact one of the REBs to make the determination before you start the application.
  • The project includes VO2 Max test or other procedures requiring maximum cardiovascular exertion by participants.
  • The project includes genetic analysis of biological material collected from participants or obtained from a biobank.
  • Studies involving the collection, use or disclosure of Personal Health Information (PHI) from a Health Information Custodian (HIC) subject to PHIPA or similar legislation in other jurisdictions (e.g., any involvement of hospital patient records, participant referrals from health care professionals, etc.)
    If your study includes patients/clients in connection with any health care provider, and you are unsure if PHI is involved, please contact one of the REBs to make the determination before you start the application.
  • The procedures include a medical intervention, including therapy interventions intended to provide treatment for mental health conditions.
  • The project includes the development of a device that is intended to be a medical device.
  • The project includes the use of human tissue in research (e.g., organs, bones, blood, cell lines, etc.). There is a separate application administered by HiREB for the use of human tissue. Note that this includes the use of ancient human skeletal remains in research in some cases (See Interpretation #9 in REB Review).
  • The project includes the administering of cannabis to participants as part of the study procedures. For studies that only ask participants who normally use cannabis to alter their usage patterns, contact the HiREB or MREB ethics office to determine which REB should review.

If your health-related study involves multiple post-secondary institutions and/or hospitals participating in Clinical Trials Ontario (CTO), then you may want to submit to HiREB via CTO. This would reduce the amount of REBs required to review your project, as you would only submit to HiREB via CTO for approval at the CTO participating sites. If you think this may apply to your project, please contact HiREB to see if it would be an option (hireb@hhsc.ca).

Contact the HiREB or MREB office to request a determination of which REB will review if …

  • The PI is appointed by both FHS and one of the other Faculties, and the study procedures would not automatically require HiREB review. Generally, the primary appointment would dictate which REB would review.
  • For student research, the course project or thesis is under a program in Science, Social Sciences, Humanities, Engineering, or the DeGroote School of Business, but the Faculty Supervisor’s appointment is with the Faculty of Health Sciences.

If you have any questions about determining the correct REB, please contact MREB or HiREB at the contact information below.

MREB Contact (Research Ethics Officer): mreb@mcmaster.ca

HiREB Contact: hireb@hhsc.ca