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RESEARCH ETHICS ADVISOR

Job ID26189-4648
CompanyMcMaster University
LocationHamilton
ProvinceON
Date Posted2019-05-06
Job TypeFull-time
Job CategoryEducation
Description

Unit/Project Description:

 

The McMaster Research Ethics Board (MREB) Secretariat provides administrative support to the MREB and the board’s  Student Research Ethics Committees (SRECs)  to fulfil the board’s mandate of reviewing non-medical research involving humans, educating the research community on research ethics, maintaining MREB/SREC records related to ethics review,  setting and interpreting policy with respect to research ethics, and responding to researcher, staff, research participant and other queries related to research ethics.

 

Job Summary:

 

Responsible for providing support and guidance to the McMaster Research Ethics Board (MREB), the Student Research Ethics Committees (SREC), and McMaster researchers regarding ethics applications. Ensure legislated policies and procedures related to research ethics are implemented and followed within the University.

 

Purpose and Key Functions:

  • Provide recommendations for ethics review feedback on initial ethics applications and amendments by collating and editing delegated review comments and adding comments based on analysis of research ethics guidelines, university policies and procedures, and relevant legislation.
  • Perform risk analysis and develop solutions to mitigate and minimize risk to research participants.
  • Consult with the Chairs to assess the level of scrutiny required at the Chair level before review feedback is sent to researchers.
  • Audit revised ethics applications and amendments and advise the Chair on whether ethics review comments were adequately addressed.
  • Liaise with the research community in order to provide guidance on research ethics requirements and answer specific questions on completing the ethics forms and supporting documents.
  • Collect, analyze, assess, and summarize information relevant to the decision making process and develop recommendations for final approval and implementation.
  • Develop procedural documents, guidelines, templates, and sample materials related to research ethics in order to support researchers and reviewers.
  • Develop and deliver educational materials and provide research ethics training to researchers and members.
  • Revise research ethics forms to reflect changes in ethics guidelines, research methods, university policies and procedures, and government legislation, in order to provide continuous improvement to the ethics review process.
  • Provide expertise on research ethics to the Chairs and members
  • Set up and manage online tutorials, surveys and educational materials related to research ethics.
  • Plan and coordinate a variety of events and activities.
  • Arrange and attend in a variety of meeting.
  • Expand and update the website.
  • Compile and gather research ethics policies and forms from other boards and institutions in Canada.
  • Conduct literature and web searches to find documents and articles used for educational enhancement.
  • Interact with University staff as well as national, international, and local research ethics organizations, committees, and professional organizations.
  • Develop a working knowledge of the research ethics management system in order to progress workflow, revise online forms and email/letter templates, and troubleshoot minor issues.
  • Remain current with national, provincial, and institutional policies related to research ethics and how they impact the research ethics review process.
  • Search online for information pertaining to submitted ethics applications.
  • Attend national, international, and local conferences and workshops regarding current research ethics policies.

Supervision:

  • Provide functional guidance to others on an ongoing basis.

Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Social Science, Science, Humanities or related field.
  • Requires 3 years of relevant experience.

Assets:

 

Demonstrated excellence in customer service and communication.

Experience conducting research with human participants and submitting research ethics applications.

Knowledge of a wide variety of research methods and types of research involving human participants.

Experience in using software to manage systems.

Additional Information:

The primary, daily task for this position is reviewing research ethics applications and working with the MREB Chair to provide feedback to researchers. Therefore, the preferred candidate will have experience working in a research ethics office and/or extensive experience as a delegated reviewer on a research ethics board, including demonstrated knowledge of the TCPS2 guidelines for human participant research in Canada.

 



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