Research Committees

The Research Policy Committee (RPC) is a Senate committee that reports to both Senate and the vice-president, Research and Innovation. The RPC is mandated to:

• Develop and recommend policies and procedures to the Senate on all aspects of research;
• Receive reports from its subcommittees on the disbursement of research funds, matters concerning research with human subjects and recommendations for the distinguished research award; and
• Staff the standing Research Ethics Appeals Board, as necessary, to hear appeals from decisions of the Research Ethics Board in accordance with the Tri-Council Policy Statement on Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Human Subjects.

2021-22 RPC Membership

• Acting Vice President, Research & Innovation – Cathy Bruce (RPC Chair)
• Chair of NSERC Research Grants Committee – Rayf Shiell
• Chair of SSHRC Research Grants Committee – Gyles Iannone
• Chair of the CIHR Research Grants Committee – Brenda Smith-Chant
• Chair of Research Ethics Board – Liana Brown
• Faculty Member – Jennine Hurl-Eamon (Fall term)
• Faculty Member – Naomi Nichols
• Faculty Member – Ian Power
• Graduate Student – Devon Howell
• Undergraduate Student – Stevie Lanigan
• Acting Director, Office of Research & Innovation (non-voting) – Christopher Rooney
• Office of Research & Innovation (non-voting) – Ashley Horne (RPC Secretary)

2021-22 Meeting Schedule

(*) by Zoom videoconference until further notice

All dates are Thursdays (10:30 am – 12 noon)

• September 16, 2021
• October 14, 2021                   
• November 18, 2021   
• December 16, 2021
• January 20, 2022
• February 17, 2022
• March 17, 2022
• April 21, 2022

As an independent board of the Research Policy Committee, the Research Ethics Board (REB) contributes to the education of research ethics and conducts independent, multi-disciplinary reviews of research proposals. It also oversees the ethics reviews conducted by the faculty, department, school and graduate program review bodies. The REB will advise Senate and the vice-president, Research and Innovation on all matters of research involving human participants at Trent University.

The Research Ethics Board shall:

• Conduct ethics reviews of proposals from members of Trent University, and others who conduct research involving human participants at Trent, to determine conformance with the whole of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: “Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Human Subjects”, within the context of the University’s responsibility to ensure that research meets high scientific and scholarly standards;
• Delegate course-related, non-funded, minimal risk research to the relevant department, school or graduate program ethics review body for review and approval; and oversee that review process;
• Terminate any research that it considers to be threatening or causing distress to the participants, deviates from the approved protocol, or has not been approved by the appropriate body;
• Ensure that departments, schools, and graduate programs are familiar with, and adhere to the Trent University Senate Policy for Research Involving Human Participants;
• Act as an advisory body for the University, educating the community on ethics in research and providing guidance on the ethics review process;
• Report at least once a year to Senate on its activities, including a list of protocols reviewed and approved; and
• Ensure that departments advise students about the relevant aspects of ethics in research and the paramount need to treat participants ethically and respectfully.

The 2021-22 REB Committee Membership:

• Liana Brown (Chair)
• Blair Niblet
• Byron Stoyles
• Chris Furgal
• Deborah White
• Jim Schaefer
• Lisa Nisbet
• Stevie Lanigan (TCSA)
• Devon Howell (TGSA)

The 2021-22 Meeting Schedule:

Recruitment of External Research Ethics Board Member

The REB welcomes interested individuals to apply for membership as a community representative. Applicants should meet the following requirement to be considered:

• No affiliation with Trent University;
• Not involved in research as their means of employment;
• Canadian citizen or permanent resident; and
• Experience as a participant in research (desirable).

Interested parties can send their curriculum vitae along with a covering letter outlining their interest and how they meet the criteria to Jamie Muckle, Certifications and Compliance Officer, Office of Research & Innovation.

Applicants whose research proposal is not approved by the Research Ethics Board or the relevant faculty, department, school or graduate program ethics review body, may appeal that decision to the Trent Research Ethics Board (EAB), which is an independent board of the Research Policy Committee. The decision of the EAB is final and binding on the principal investigator, subject to further procedures as may be provided through collective agreements. The EAB shall:

• Hear appeals from principal investigators whose research protocol has not been approved by the ethics review body or who objects to the terms and conditions imposed by the ethics review body; and
• Report annually to Senate on appeals heard and the disposition of those appeals, including a summary of the reasons given for its decision.

This committee is composed of:

• One faculty member with previous experience on the REB (chair);
• One other faculty member with previous experience on the REB;
• Chair (or designate) from the appellant's department; and
• Certifications and Regulatory Compliance Officer (Secretary, non-voting): Jamie Muckle.

The Animal Care Committee (ACC) derives its authority from both Trent University and federal and provincial legislation, notably the Animals for Research Act (Ontario). As a result, in matters concerning animal regulations, the ACC is answerable to the University as well as government officials. As most of its activities have some bearing on animal care, it is often not possible (nor desirable) to determine where statutory authority and responsibility ends and University jurisdiction begins. The ACC is responsible to the vice-president, Research and Innovation and to the president. The animal care manager reports to the vice-president, Research and Innovation on matters related to their employment, and will work with the chair of the ACC and the VP on matters relating to Animal Care facility (ACF) management and the implementation of animal care policies.

The Animal Care Committee meets monthly between September and June inclusive.   Submissions aiming to be on an agenda should be received at least 4 weeks prior to ensure a positive peer review has been obtained.  The last date a protocol may be submitted for review before a July and August hiatus is the Friday of the first week of May.  Only unforeseen research opportunities and emergencies will be reviewed with interim approvals during the summer hiatus. 

The 2021-22 ACC Committee Membership:

• Holly Bates (Chair)
• Andrea Rogers
• Chris Williams
• David Beresford
• Jason Allen
• Jenny Rudell Laing (Veterinarian)
• Michael Chan-Reynolds
• Mowei Liu
• Steve Thexton (Community Member)
• Steven E. Franklin
• Tracy Ross (OPSEU)
• Cameron Ewing (TCSA)
• TGSA (TBD)

The Terms of Reference for the Animal Care Committee can be found here.

The 2021-22 Meeting Schedule

NOTE: ALL active projects are required to submit an Annual Progress Report by December 31 for each calendar year the project is active.  The Annual Progress Report is available in the Events tab of the project file in ROMEO.

Social Science and Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Health Studies and Sciences Research Grant Subcommittees

The standing RPC subcommittees are mandated to disburse funds for research for the related Tri-Council agencies on behalf of the Committee and to report on the disbursement of such funds to the RPC and the vice-president, Research and Innovation.

These subcommittees are composed of:

• Three grant holders or recent grant holders of the associated agency (one to be chair). For the Health Studies and Sciences Research Grant Subcommittee, the three holders can be holders of other peer-reviewed funding related toward health research;
• One graduate student named by the GSA; and
• The director of the Office of Research and Innovation.

The 2021-22 Chairs of these subcommittees are:

• NSERC Research Grants Committee, Dr. Rayf Shiell;
• SSHRC Research Grants Committee, Dr. Gyles Iannone; and
• CIHR Research Grants Committee, Dr. Brenda Smith-Chant

Distinguished Research Awards Subcommittee

This standing subcommittee of the RPC makes annual recommendations for the recipient of the Distinguished Research Award, as outlined in their procedures for selection.

This committee is composed of:

• Vice-president, Research & Innovation (chair, non-voting);
• Director, Research & Innovation;
• A representative of from the Provost's Office;
• Chairpersons of the Internal Committees on Research;
• One faculty representative selected by all five undergraduate deans; and
• One graduate student named by the GSA.