Research Ethics Boards (REBs) are independent committees established by the University and in partnership with its affiliated hospitals and research institutes.
Acting on behalf of these institutions, REBs are authorized to review the ethical acceptability of research and to approve, reject, propose modifications to, or terminate any proposed or ongoing research involving human participants.
There are three UBC REBs and three Affiliated REBs. The UBC REBs are the Clinical REB (CREB), the UBC-Vancouver Behavioural REB (BREB), and the UBC-Okanagan REB (BREB). The three UBC Affiliated REBs are BC Cancer REB, Children’s and Women’s REB, and Providence Health Care REB. UBC researchers can submit their ethics applications to any one of these REBs in order to use any of the sites covered by these boards. Multiple ethics approvals are not required
UBC’s REBs are independent of the parent institution(s) in their decision-making, and they are required to operate free of inappropriate influence, including situations of real, potential or perceived conflict of interest. The parent institution(s) may not override REB decisions concerning the ethical acceptability of a study.
UBC’s REBs meet all requisite criteria for an authorized research ethics board, pursuant to the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS2 2014), the International Conference on Harmonization Good Clinical Practice Guidelines (ICH-GCP) and the requirements of the US Department of Health and Human Services, as set out in the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, 45CFR Part 46, sub-part A.
The mandate of the REBs at UBC is: "To assist the University and its affiliated hospitals and agencies to create a research environment in which human subjects are protected and to ensure responsibilities are discharged according to the relevant ethical standards, by promoting awareness of research ethics amongst faculty, staff and students, by independently reviewing research studies in accordance with the guiding ethical principles of the Tri-Council Policy Statement, and to put into place mechanisms for the protection of human participants in ongoing research conducted under the auspices of the University of British Columbia."
UBC Office of Research Ethics
Jean Ruiz, Director, Office of Research Ethics
The Director is responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring UBC’s Program for Human Research Participant Protections and for ensuring that ethics processes and polices meet local, provincial, national and international requirements.
604-827-5310 | jean.ruiz@ubc.ca
Laurel Evans, previous Director, Office of Research Ethics Retired as of April 1, 2024