Author: Karen Kueneman

Western Research- COVID-19 Update: Precautionary Measures for Research

The risk level for COVID-19 infection is rising rapidly in our region and has forced Western Research to revisit the guidelines for mitigating risk within research spaces.

What does this mean for research at Western?

To prioritize the health and safety of our campus community, Western Research is reintroducing the following precautionary measures for research activities, effective December 18, 2021:

  • Occupancy of on-campus research spaces will be rolled back to 50 per cent.
  • Models of remote research (those requiring no face-to-face contact) may continue, and our human research ethics team remains available to provide any necessary support for modifying existing research protocols.
  • Human participant research may continue so long as it respects the 50 per cent capacity restriction and all PPE guidelines. Physical exercise and other studies with elevated ventilation rates, however, should be discontinued at this time.
  • Western Research continues to support research involving vaccinated off-campus participants under existing guidelines.
  • The Government of Canada has issued a global travel advisory to avoid all non-essential travel outside the country, effective December 15; therefore, they are similarly recommending the suspension of any international research activities involving travel.
  • As there are currently no restrictions on local travel, field research can continue. Travelers must adhere to restrictions imposed by the local community to which they are traveling.
  • There are no changes to existing guidelines for non-human research activities, with the exception of limiting capacity in research spaces to 50 per cent.

Given how fluid the situation continues to be, they will reassess the effectiveness of these measures in mid-January.

When in doubt, think safety first. Please continue to be vigilant within your research spaces and do not hesitate to address questions to your Dean, Associate/Assistant Dean (Research), and/or departmental delegate.

Please continue to work together to create the best possible outcomes in this ever-changing reality. 

Research Ethics Training – Update of TCPS-2 Course On Research Ethics (CORE)

The Secretariat on Responsible Conduct of Research (the Secretariat) wants to inform the research community that the current Tri-Council Policy Statement 2: Course on Research Ethics (TCPS 2: CORE) will soon be replaced by a new version – TCPS 2: CORE-2022. The latter will refer exclusively to the TCPS 2 and will focus on ethics guidance that is applicable to all research involving human participants, regardless of discipline or methodology.

CORE-2022 will consist of nine modules and a knowledge consolidation exercise:

  • Module A1 – Introduction
  • Module A2 – Scope of TCPS 2
  • Module A3 – Risks and Benefits
  • Module A4 – Consent
  • Module A5 – Fairness and Equity
  • Module A6 – Privacy and Confidentiality
  • Module A7 – Conflicts of Interest
  • Module A8 – Research Ethics Board Review
  • Module A9 – Research Involving Indigenous Peoples
  • Knowledge Consolidation Exercise

Each module will include 4-5 quiz questions. These questions will provide users with an opportunity to test their knowledge as they progress through the modules. In addition, the new version will include a knowledge consolidation exercise (KCE) consisting of 25 multiple-choice questions. A CORE-2022 Certificate of Completion will be issued to users following the successful completion of the KCE. The new course will be self-paced and should take approximately 4 hours to complete. It will be possible for users to complete the course over multiple sessions by saving their progress and resuming later. CORE-2022 will be compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) to ensure accessibility for all users.

Migration to CORE-2022 will take place during the week of January 10, 2022. Access to existing CORE registration and course completion information by users and institutions will continue, albeit through CORE-2022’s database. However, there will be no transition period during which both versions are available. Therefore, the Secretariat advises anyone who has started the current version of the course, but has not completed it, to do so by December 31, 2021. This is to avoid losing your progress in the current version.

Questions related to the upcoming migration to CORE-2022 should be directed to the Secretariat at secretariat@srcr-scrr.gc.ca.