Frequently Asked Questions

Got questions or new FAQ requests?

Please let us know! Reach out to RAIMSSupport@uoguelph.ca. If you have a question, others likely do also and we appreciate the opportunity to update our content. Thanks!

I have a specific question about my study, how can I contact the Ethics Office, before submitting my application?

There are many ways that you can seek out support from the Research Ethics office. If your question is technical or about EthOS functionality, please reach out to RAIMSSupport@uoguelph.ca first. If your question is more specific to Research Ethics guidance, you can use the Correspond Action tile within the project to contact us directly within the form. For any Research Ethics guidance, you are also welcome to attend one of our Brown Bag drop-in sessions, or to reach out to the Reseach Ethics Manager, Katelyn Wadleigh (kwadleig@uoguelph.ca) or Ethics Education and Compliance Advisor, Donna Drohan (ddrohan@uoguelph.ca) to schedule an individual consultation.

I'm getting an error message when logging in, what should I do?

Verify that you are using the correct URL: Applicants - https://reb.research.uoguelph.ca/ REB Members - https://reviewreb.research.uoguelph.ca/. If the error persists, clear your browser history and cache, then try logging in again. If you are still unable to access the system, please reach out to RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca.

I am not the PI. Can I fill out the REB applications in EthOS?

Yes. Anyone with an EthOS account can create a Project, and this person becomes the Project Owner. The Project Owner can add the Principal Investigator and other study collaborators to the Project and specify the desired level of permissions for each of these individuals. Depending on those permissions, the collaborators and study team members can create and complete sub-forms of the Project (e.g. amendment, event report). For more information, see the Create & Submit an REB Application User Materials - Adding Study Personnel section. Note: Although the person who is not the PI can create the application, the PI must review and sign off on all initial submissions (this includes amendments, reportable events, annual renewals etc.).

I'm getting an error message saying that my project title already exists, what should I do?

The platform on which EthOS is built does not allow an individual to have more than one project with the same title, so you will have to modify your project title in order to get past this error message. If you are submitting multiple REB Application forms for a larger project, you may wish to consider how these might be differentiated, e.g., with a year, subtitle, "Study A". Note: If you are submitting a Statement of Intent with the same Project Title that you intend to use for your REB Application, please add "SOI:" in front of the project title within your SOI form. This will allow you to use the Project Title later for the main form REB application.

When is research exempt from REB review? How do I verify if my research is exempt from REB review?

You may use the "Request for an REB Exemption" application type within the "Main Application Form" in EthOS. The guidance within this dynamic form will help you determine if your proposed research is exempt from REB review. You may request a formal confirmation of REB exemption if necessary, e.g., if a collaborating institution wishes to have our confirmation that we do not need to review the project. You are encouraged to reach out to the Research Ethics office directly for guidance if there is any uncertainty about whether REB review is required.

How do I submit an EthOS application for multi-jurisdictional research?

First create a Main REB application. When you enter the Initial Details in the Application Overview section, select the Multijurisdictional Request form. In that form, consult the built-in guidance to see if your scenario qualifies.

Where do I find help to navigate the EthOS system?

Training materials are available from the EthOS Hub site. We suggest you begin with the Getting Started and Basic Navigation sections. You can also attend one of the EthOS Training Webinars (via replay) or reach out to RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca for any additional support.

Does EthOS autosave changes?

EthOS automatically saves changes under the following three scenarios: When you... -navigate to the next or previous page -run the completeness check -upload a document A recommended practice is to manually save regularly because the system timeout is triggered after 30 minutes of inactivity. Note: If the system has already autosaved, or if you have not made any changes since your last manual save, clicking on the Save action tile will not trigger any action, i.e., you will only see a confirmation of save if changes have been made.

Can EthOS do a full text search through my application and/or supporting documents?

Full text search (in the application and/or supporting documents) is not available in EthOS. There is a search feature on the landing page right above the project list and this search does a full text search on that page only (e.g, REB number, project title). As an alternative, users can generate a PDF version of using the View PDF button and conduct a full text search in the PDF file.

Is there a way to retrieve the content I entered if my session timed out and I did not save my updates?

Unfortunately, if your session timed out before you before you navigated to another page or ran the completeness check, your content has been lost and cannot be retrieved. A recommended practice is to save regularly because the system timeout is triggered after 30 minutes of inactivity.

As a collaborator (study team member), how do I access the application that someone else on my study team has created?

If you don't see an application that you would expect to see, confirm who in your study team created the application and then ask that person to share the form with you. See the EthOS Hub - or the help section of EthOS - for a link to the sharing forms training material). Once another EthOS user has shared an application with you, the application will appear in the list of projects in your account. You can also find applications that have been shared with you by clicking on the Shared tile on the Work Area screen. Note: In order to share applications, the user with whom the form is to be shared must exist in the system. Internal users (U of G or UofGH) automatically 'create' their account by logging in to EthOS once. External users can submit an account request. (The link to the account request form is on the log-in page of the EthOS application).

How do I remove or update the sharing permissions on my EthOS application?

Sharing permissions can be modified at any time through the Collaborators tab. This area lists all users who have access to your application. Use the Edit Permissions button to make changes. Note: you cannot edit permissions of anyone to whom you have shared the form using a Role. To change role-based permissions, click on the Roles icon, remove the role, and re-assign permissions (using either a new role or the Share tile to set specific permissions). Consult the EthOS Hub and EthOS help section for more information on sharing forms.

Can I upload supporting documents directly to EthOS?

Yes! EthOS will prompt you to upload supporting documents in the relevant sections as you complete the form. You will be able to see the documents directly within the form where they are uploaded, from the Documents tab within the project, or by clicking the Documents Action tile. In some cases, you need to upload a clean or a tracked version of the document. The form will contain built-in guidance or additional prompts to remind you of which version of document to upload when. For more information, consult the Upload Documents content in the Create & Submit user materials on the EthOS hub (or via the Help section in EthOS).

How do I know if my application is complete?

Completeness checks are automatically carried out when signing an application form. The completeness check verifies that all mandatory questions on the form have been answered. You can also run a completeness check at any time while completing the form by clicking on the Completeness Check Action tile. A dialogue box will appear that includes links to any mandatory questions which have not been answered. Click the link to be sent directly to an incomplete question. After responding, click the Completeness Check Action tile again to see the remaining unanswered questions. Note: You are encouraged to review the form sections that appear after completing the Application Overview section. This should give you a good idea of whether your form is built correctly, e.g., if you are conducting novel device research, ensure you see the Novel Products or Device section, or if you are only conducting secondary use research, ensure you see the Secondary Use of Data, Specimens section.

As a student, how do I obtain my supervisor's signature on the application in EthOS?

In EthOS, you request the signature of the Principal Investigator (P.I.) as part of the final step in submitting your application. The PI receives an email notification when you have requested their signature, and then can access the application directly from the email to complete the signature declaration step. Once the PI has signed the application, the application is automatically submitted to EthOS. For more information, see the Create & Submit an REB Application User Materials in the  Signatures and Submitting Applications section.

How do I know if my application form has been successfully submitted?

EthOS has been pre-configured to automatically submit all signed applications (including re-submissions, subforms) to the Ethics Office once the PI has completed the signature declaration and signed the form. Once the PI has signed the form, the applicant receives an email confirmation and the status of the form changes to "Submitted from Applicant." You can see the status of your application from your Work Area, Projects List by finding the Project Title and expanding it to see the status information. For more information, please see the Basic Navigation User Materials - Finding Application status section.

I'm seeing a Submission Failed status, what should I do?

There may have been an interruption during the batch processing of your submission. Please report this issue to RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca.

What happens to my existing studies, those created using the Microsoft Word template?

Applications will be accepted using the pre-EthOS (legacy) forms until September 22, 2024 and will follow the former process until approval. Applications already submitted prior to July 25, 2024 using the legacy forms will continue to follow the legacy process and forms until approval.

What happens to the old Microsoft Word forms? Can I still use them?

We are excited to say that there no longer is a need to use the Microsoft Word REB Application form for initial submissions. EthOS has the full range of functionality for all your REB application needs and scenarios. We have been advising researchers since early July 2024 that the old REB Application form would be retired at the time of data migration. Accordingly, submissions using the Microsoft Word REB Application is no longer accepted beginning September 23. Note: If you will be adding or revising a pre-EthOS supplement (e.g., SONA supplement, Cross-cultural supplement, etc.), these legacy forms are still available on our website. If you were/are part-way through an application in MS Word, you will need to re-enter that information in EthOS. This process is not as easy as cutting and pasting as it is not a 1:1 match due to the dynamic nature of the online form. If you’d like to discuss your application scenario, please get in touch with the reb@uoguelph.ca.

What is being migrated to EthOS and when?

The Research Ethics Office conducted a thorough case-by-case assessment of all Research Ethics files in preparation for the migration of pre-EthOS active protocols. All REB submissions that were active and approved as of August 13, 2024 were migrated to EthOS. Closed protocols are not being migrated. REB submissions approved after August 13, 2024 will be migrated separately; any pre-EthOS submissions will be migrated upon approval. Researchers will receive a system notification email and/or may be personally contacted by the Research Ethics Office as confirmation when these manual migrations occur.

What pre-EthOS study documents will be migrated? What can I do with them?

For any legacy protocol in scope for migration, the most recently approved versions of any project documentation (REB application form, CORE certificates, consent forms etc.) will be migrated. They will be visible on the legacy data form’s Documents tab and also on the page of the form itself. You will be able to download these documents but not delete them (or add new ones) unless through an amendment process. If documents are incorrect for any reason, contact RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca for technical assistance.

What will the legacy EthOS form look like?

The legacy form in EthOS is only one page. It is not like the Main REB Application Form that has multiple, dynamic sections based on question prompts. The legacy form only houses top-level summary fields such as PI, study title, approval date, and expiry date. However, all the most recently approved versions of your supporting project documents are listed on the legacy form and are accessible and downloadable.

How will I know that a legacy protocol has been migrated?

For the initial mass migration effort for September 23, 2024, a Research Alert will be issued to confirm that all content was migrated successfully. From there, we ask that researchers log into EthOS to check that you see your expected content. For manual migrations (of approved applications after August 13, 2024), you will either receive a system notification or an email from the Research Ethics Office once migration is complete for each study. The manual migration will require PIs to accept a ‘transfer’ of the legacy protocol in EthOS. See the guidelines in the Managing Your Projects help section under Transferring Projects.

What if I don’t see a legacy protocol that I think should have been migrated?

First, remember the migration scope only included active approved protocols up to August 13 There could be a few reasons, therefore, that you don’t see your study: -If your protocol was expired or closed, it was not migrated (unless it was only very recently expired) -If your protocol was approved after August 13 then it was not part of the mass migration effort, but will be migrated manually I-f your protocol was in the midst of an amendment it would have been considered ‘under review’ by the Research Ethics office and will be migrated manually once the amendment review and approval cycle completes I-f your legacy study is still pending approval, it will be migrated manually once it is approved Lastly, if you were part of the study team, but not the PI, you will not see the protocol until the PI shares the form with you (see Why aren’t all my study team members on the legacy data form?) Otherwise, if none of the above could be the explanation, then contact RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca citing the REB reference number if you have it, or the study title. Note: In the case of manual migrations, these are expected to complete between now and end of October Researchers will be notified either by a system email or personally contacted by the Research Ethics office as your protocol is migrated).

How will I find my legacy protocol in EthOS?

The legacy protocol appears in your Work Area Project List alongside any other EthOS-generated projects. You will see the title of the study and once expanded, the first ‘branch’ on the Project Tree will be a Legacy Data form. Click once on that line to access the legacy protocol. If you don't see a legacy protocol that you would expect to see, consult the What if I don’t see a legacy protocol that I think should have been migrated and/or What if I notice an error on my legacy protocol FAQ.

What if I notice an error on my legacy protocol or uploaded documents?

If there is an error in the legacy data form, or the study documents, please reach out to RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca. We will work with you to correct any errors. Note: In the case of document attachments, only the current version on file with the Research Ethics Office was migrated. It’s possible that more than one version of the same document was migrated, however. In these cases, as long as you have the most recent version there is no need to contact support.

Why aren’t all my study team members on the legacy data form?

Only the PI’s name and details were migrated, making the PI the form owner. Co-Investigator(s) or other study team members (where known) were populated but not the full contact details. However, you can easily add study personnel and share the legacy form by clicking on the Share button in the Actions pane and following the prompts to select a user (who must have an account in the system) and assigning your desired permissions. For more information, see the Sharing a Legacy Form steps.

I need to submit an amendment, renewal, event report, or closure on my legacy protocol. Where do I start?

We appreciate that some of you have been waiting for the September 2024 migration effort and/or have legacy protocols requiring urgent attention. The migration date coincides with the release of all EthOS functionality for post-submission and post-approval activities. Please consult the Legacy Protocol user materials for help on how to prepare post-approval subforms within legacy protocols. The team at RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca are always available if you have any questions about these steps or any other EthOS-related items.

Why am I getting - or not getting - reminders about expired legacy protocols?

EthOS will begin sending automated reminder alerts for any protocols starting 4 weeks before their expiry date. Once your legacy protocols are in EthOS, you will start receiving automated expiry notifications. However, depending on the exact expiry date of your protocol, and the date on which it was migrated, this may not be within the automated reminder ‘window’. We appreciate that reminder emails can be confusing if you are not expecting them – and also appreciate your patience as it may take a few weeks for the timing of automated alerts to synchronize with our migration activities. If you ever receive a reminder notification that you are unsure about, contact RAIMSsupport@uoguelph.ca for clarification.