Forms for each academic year will be available from the Departments of Anthropology and Religious Studies. Applications may be made by E-mail attachment or by submitting 5 hard copies. In reaching its decisions, the Committee will be guided by the principles outlined in the Tri-Council Policy. Applications will be approved only for the academic year in which they are made. If the project will continue in a subsequent year without any change, the applicant should request renewal of the approval.
Approval requires at least three approving votes.
However, it is anticipated that the committee will normally reach a consensus and, if necessary, will work with the applicant to improve the initial proposal. The Departmental Committee may refer an application to the University Research Ethics Board. Examples of situations in which referral would be appropriate are research that the Departmental Committee thinks may be of more than minimal risk, research involving ethical or legal issues for which it does not have adequate expertise, and cases for which conflicts of interest reduce its size to fewer than three members. Every attempt shall be made to work with the applicant to reach agreement through discussion, revision, and reconsideration. When agreement cannot be reached, decisions of the Departmental Ethics Board may be appealed to the University Research Ethics Board, whose decision shall be final.