Author: Kueneman, Karen

Staff, 2015 Fall

Guidance for Acquiring Proof of Vaccination from Research Participants

In response to the recent memo that researchers must obtain proof of vaccination prior to welcoming research participants to campus, the Office of Human Research Ethics (OHRE) has the following guidance:

  • Ensure your study team is familiar with Western’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy (MAPP 3.1.1)
  • Amendments to research protocols and documents are not required to address this additional institutional screening requirement.  Inclusion/Exclusion criteria, screening scripts and tools, and data collection tools should not be impacted when researchers are solely following institutional policy for on-campus attendance. 
  • Amendments are required if your study objectives newly require the collection of vaccination information as study data OR if your research as a whole must pivot to new methodology (e.g. remote vs in-person visits).
  • The requirements around vaccination should be introduced to participants prior to obtaining informed consent. Ongoing research participants should be notified of the vaccination policy as soon as possible.
  • Documentation of a participant’s vaccination status or exemption should not be part of their study record unless it is approved study data.
  • Ideally, the collection of vaccination information should be centralized within the faculty, school, or department.
  • Do not collect vaccination documents via email, as email is not considered secure (MAPP 1.13). Retain vaccination status information only until Western tells you that it can be destroyed.  As per the previous memo, actual vaccination documentation provided by the potential participant should NOT be retained at all.
  • As per MAPP 3.1.1, children under 12 are not considered visitors. Therefore, there is currently no requirement for research participants under 12 to be vaccinated or to provide proof of negative COVID tests.  However, like all participants they must do Western’s daily symptom screening prior to presenting to campus for research.
  • Consider your participant population because not all will have access to certain technology.  Obtaining verbal confirmation prior to a research participant coming to campus is sufficient if obtaining it ahead of time is not possible. Proof of vaccination documentation need only be shown in-person.

As the OHRE gathers more information guidance document will be updated.  Please consult the Vaccination Confirmation for Research Participants Guidance Document for the most up to date information, scripts and documentation requirements.

Council of Canadian Academies – Internship Program

The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) is accepting applications for its 2022 Internship Program. The CCA is a not-for-profit organization that undertakes independent, evidence-based expert panel assessments to inform public policy development in Canada.

The program provides interns with an opportunity to gain experience working at the interface of science and public policy. Interns will participate in the development of assessments by conducting research in support of CCA’s expert panel process.

The internship program is a full-time commitment of six months and will be a remote opportunity due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Applicants must be recent graduates with a graduate or professional degree, or post-doctoral fellows, with a strong interest in the use of evidence for policy. The application deadline is October 18, 2021. The start date is January 10, 2022. Applications and letters of reference should be addressed to Anita Melnyk at internship@cca-reports.ca.

More information about the CCA Internship Program and the application process can be found here.

Western Research – Guidelines for Return to Research and Human Face-to-Face Studies

Research Capacity: With recent requirements for proof of vaccination, and flexible physical distancing requirements, we are now able to increase capacity in our research spaces to 100 per cent, provided all personnel continue to follow PPE and cleaning requirements.

Research Involving Visitors to Campus: All visitors to campus – including research participants – are to adhere to Western’s policy requiring mandatory proof of full vaccination status. These efforts will help ensure we continue to maintain a safe campus for all members of our community.

Researchers interested in welcoming research participants to campus are required to obtain and document proof of vaccination status for all participants who are unaffiliated with the university. Confirmation must be obtained in advance of their arrival on campus.

Please do not keep copies of vaccination documents; however, a record of receipt of proof will mitigate the need to confirm vaccination status for any recurring visit by the same participant.

Participants who are exempted from vaccination according to MAPP 3.1.1 must provide evidence of this exemption status, as well as two negative COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, commencing one week prior to each visit to campus.These tests, recurring for each week the participant plans to visit campus, must be separated by a minimum of 72 hours (e.g., if first tested for the week on Monday at 12 p.m., the next test must occur Thursday at 12 p.m. or later in the same seven-day period.) These tests are available in Western’s Graphic Services Building.

For every visit, all participants and research personnel must continue to follow existing protocols of filling out the COVID health questionnaire and adhering to all PPE, distancing and cleanliness practices in the research area.

Field Research: For all field research activities, all Western researchers are to adhere to guidelines provided by the relevant field site.

Questions: Adherence to research guidelines continues to be the responsibility of each academic unit. When in doubt, however, please think safety first and contact your faculty Associate / Assistant Dean (Research) for further information.

Reminder – Mandatory Training for Human Participant Research

Reminder: All study team members, including faculty, librarians, archivists, students, postdoctoral scholars and staff listed on a human participant research project submitted to one of Western’s Research Ethics Boards (REBs), or up for annual renewal, must complete human participant research training.
 
For NEW submissions: No study-related activities can take place until all study team members have completed training, even if a Research Ethics Board approval notice has been issued for your study.

Step 1: Complete training using ONE of the following training options outlined below and save a PDF of your certificate.
 
If you have already completed training using one of the options outlined below, move to Step 2 to submit your certificate. 

Step 2: If you have a .uwo email account, upload your certificate here. (You must be logged into OWL before clicking this link.)

For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit the human research ethics Workshops and Seminars page: Mandatory Training for Human Research.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Grace Kelly, Manager, Research Compliance Programs and Education, 519-661-2111 ext. 84692.

Western Postdoctoral Fellowships Program

The Western Postdoctoral Fellowships Program is administered by Western Research.

Deadlines:
ROLA: November 5 (completed by faculty supervisor)
Western Research: November 9

Description: Western’s Postdoctoral Fellowships Program provides funding to the very best postdoctoral applicants who will contribute positively to research excellence at the university and help advance Western’s strategic research plan.   The Postdoctoral Fellowships Program’s objectives are to:

  • Attract top-tier postdoctoral talent, nationally and internationally;
  • Develop their leadership potential; and
  • Position them for success as tomorrow’s research leaders.

Applicants to the Postdoctoral Fellowships Program must make their application paired with a supervising faculty member.  

Up to 11 Fellowships are available for the 2021 competition. Each faculty and school will be allocated a minimum of one Fellowship.

Amount: Fellowships will provide a minimum stipend of $45,000/year plus benefits for two years. Western Research will contribute up to 50 per cent of the Fellowship costs. The host faculty and/or supervising faculty member are responsible for securing the remaining 50 per cent of costs. For further details, see program guidelines. 

Through a partnership with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, and in support of the goals of Western’s Indigenous Strategic Plan, at least one of the Fellowships awarded will be an Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship. Eligible applicants for the Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship are those who self-identify as Indigenous, who will be supervised by an Indigenous faculty member, or who will conduct Indigenous Research during the Fellowship.

Matching funds for an Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship will not be required from the faculty or supervisor and will be provided by the Office of the Provost & Vice-President Academic. Details are provided in the program guidelines.

Eligibility: See the program guidelines for Postdoctoral Fellow eligibility.
Supervisors must hold a research-eligible position at Western. Applicants must secure written commitment of a qualified faculty member at Western who has the expertise, experience, and capacity to act as the Principal Supervisor of the Postdoctoral Fellow and their proposed project (see instructions for the “Supervisor’s Statement” attachment on the application form).

More Information and Applications: The application form and program guidelines, including further information around eligibility, matching funds, and the application process, are available on the Western Postdoctoral Fellowships Program page.

Questions: contact intgrant@uwo.ca

Human Research Ethics: Video Resources

The Office of Human Research Ethics has a new recorded video and handout for education around human ethics:

Conducting ethical human research: The ABCs

Are you a student conducting research with human participants (incl. their data and/or biological material)? Are you interested in conducting research with humans (incl. the use of human data and/or biological material) in the future? If so, learn about the principles of research ethics and a few practical tips that will help you.

Resources (requires Office365 login)

Western Research Update: Research and Step 1 of Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen

The Province of Ontario has indicated it will move to Step 1 of its Roadmap to Reopen as part of its third-wave recovery plan on Friday, June 11, 2021 at 12:01 a.m.

What does this mean for research at Western?

  • On-campus research requires approval of the Dean or delegate, such as the Associate Dean (Research). Please contact your Associate/Assistant Dean (Research) to re-initiate studies.
  • In-person, face-to-face research that engages on-campus personnel (e.g., registered students, staff and faculty) as research participants may resume, effective June 11, 2021.
  • Indoor face-to-face human studies involving moderate-to-high ventilation rates (e.g., exercise testing or training) remain paused for the time being.
  • Off-campus field and community-based research must receive permission from both Western and destination sites.
  • Occupancy of on-campus research spaces is limited to 30 per cent.

As reminders, members of Western’s community are required to complete the return-to-campus questionnaire and to wear three-ply masks at all times in buildings on campus—including on lunch breaks—and near others outside. Supervisors may recommend face shields if goggles cannot be accommodated. It is recommended that all breaks occur outside where PPE can be removed when physically distanced from others.

When in doubt, think safety first.

The university continues to provide campus-wide updates and Western Research maintains additional research-related notices. Please direct any additional questions to your Associate/Assistant Dean (Research).

Tips for Editing Your Own Work

In this blog post from Congress 2021, University of Alberta JD Candidate Valerie Leowto draws on advice from Letitia Henville and Glen Ashworth for tips and apps that can aid in editing your own work. “Many of you are likely familiar with the difficulties of editing your own writing. When reading over your own work, your brain has a tendency to make sense of what you think is on the page, rather than what is actually there…” See the full post.

Computer Stock photos by Vecteezy

Western’s Inspiring Minds Initiative

Inspiring Minds seeks to broaden awareness and impact of graduate student research, while enhancing transferrable skills.

Inspiring Minds has one rule:  graduate students (master’s and doctoral) are asked to describe their research, scholarship, or creative activity in any language in no more than 150 written words.  They can also include supplementary digital files to support their work including music, images, or video clips.

Some reasons to participate:

  1. It’s great written communications practice (which is the key goal of the exercise)
  2. It’s not a competition – 26 randomly selected submissions will receive some extra coaching and be turned into digital artwork
  3. You’ll be contributing to a first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary collection of the research being done at Western

More information: https://grad.uwo.ca/academics/inspiringminds.html

Submissions will be accepted until June 11, 2021.

2021 Bertram Scholarships

In recognition of the growing importance of good governance to all Canadian institutions, the Canadian Foundation for Governance Research is offering up to three annual Bertram Scholarships. The scholarship will support the work of students who are conducting research into governance as part of their doctoral research project.

Deadline: May 27, 2021.

Amount: $15,000

Eligibility: PhD students registered at Canadian universities. The doctoral research project should focus on a topic directly related to governance, including for example:

  • The importance of effective boards in enabling good decision-making and improving the functioning of Canadian institutions;
  • Governance issues of interest to Canadian boards of public, private, government-agency and not-for-profit organizations;
  • The role of corporate governance in enabling positive societal impacts;
  • Governance best practices through the Canadian perspective.

For full details on the Bertram Scholarship, visit the CFGR website.