Evolution Policy Initiatives

When CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC adopted the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS) in 1998, they committed to keeping it a living document. Doing so involves responding to new research developments, identifying gaps, and proposing modifications of existing research ethics norms.

The Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics (PRE) is thus mandated by the Agencies to advise on the evolution of the TCPS. PRE does so in a national and international context that recognizes diverse research ethics needs, activities and environments. To inform its deliberations and recommendations, PRE relies on transparent and inclusive processes of community and public engagement.

PRE Task Group on Evolution

To advance policy initiatives on the evolution of the TCPS, PRE has created a Task Group on Evolution. Its projects are noted below. Staff from the Secretariat on Research Ethics support the task group.

Secretariat contact:
Thérèse De Groote
Senior Policy Analyst
(613) 996.1062
therese.degroote@pre.ethics.gc.ca

Projects

• Developing formal process mechanisms for engaging the public in evolution of the TCPS
• Community invitation to identify research ethics issues in ethnography, field and qualitative research
• Creation of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Ethics Special Working Committee
• Creation of ProGroup, PRE's Sub-group on Procedural Issues for the TCPS
• Tri-Agency reference on TCPS matters raised by the Olivieri Reports
• Liaise with Health Canada/CIHR National Placebo Working Group
• Research within Aboriginal communities: national priorities, process & partnerships towards revision of Section 6 of the TCPS
• Results of the Web-based Survey of the NSERC Community Whose Research Involves Human Subjects