Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics

On-Line Tutorial for the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS)
CLOSED: June 20, 2002

Authority for the Project

The Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics ("the Panel") intends to offer a basic on-line tutorial to facilitate the use, interpretation and implementation of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans in the research community (see Appendix I for the Minimum Requirements for Tutorial Content, Structure and Design).

The Panel has mandated the Secretariat on Research Ethics ("the Secretariat") to administer the competition and coordinate the process of developing and implementing the tutorial. The Panel constitutes the Authority for this project.

Deadline

The Secretariat must receive proposals by 12 noon (EST) on June 20, 2002.

Budget

The budget for this project cannot exceed $ 25,000 (Cdn.) including GST. Proposals with budgets that exceed this amount will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered.

Background

Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS)

The Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS), a joint policy of the three federal granting agencies (CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC),* promotes the ethical standard for the conduct of research involving humans.

The Interagency Advisory Panel and Secretariat on Research Ethics

The Panel and Secretariat were created in November 2001 at the request of the presidents of the three federal granting agencies. Together, the Panel and the Secretariat provide a new governing structure to support the continued development, evolution, interpretation and implementation of the TCPS. Their objective is to ensure stewardship by the agencies for the governance of research ethics policies and practices at institutions receiving agency funding.

The Education Component of the Panel and Secretariat's Mandate

The funding agencies intend the TCPS to serve as an educational resource for individuals conducting, reviewing and participating in research funded by the agencies or conducted under the auspices of institutions. Education, thus, forms an integral part of the mandates assigned to the Panel and Secretariat. The Panel is called upon to "promote high ethical standards of conduct in research involving humans, and more specifically, to 'promote and support the implementation of the TCPS,' as well as 'provide interpretations of the TCPS for its implementation and use'." The Panel is directly mandated to identify educational activities and to delegate the Secretariat with the responsibility to promote and coordinate such activities.

Scope of Competition

Objective and Eligibility

The Panel is committed to supporting provision of education on the TCPS to researchers, research ethics boards (REBs), research administrators and research participants. In collaboration with other organizations and groups, the Panel plans to contribute to the development of a comprehensive educational program in research ethics. This RFP represents a first step in that direction in terms of providing a basic on-line tutorial to facilitate the use, interpretation and implementation of the TCPS in the research community.

As such, this RFP seeks submissions from individuals, groups, organizations and institutions that have already produced some educational materials relating to research ethics. The funds awarded through this RFP could be used to modify, update and extend those materials to meet the requirements specified in this document. At the same time, the Panel invites submissions for the development of a new product.

Proposal Requirements

Each proposal should not exceed five (5) pages (8½ x 11 inches), not including CVs. The text must be 1½-line-spaced, 12 pt. and in Times Roman or a similar font. A one-inch margin must appear at the top, bottom, right and left sides of each page.

Proposal should demonstrate a clear understanding and significant knowledge of:

the mandates of the Panel and Secretariat with respect to the governance of research ethics
the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans (1998)
concepts, principles and issues relating to research ethics
the general ethico-legal context for research involving humans in Canada
the diverse academic and research environments in Canada, including fields of research relating to biomedicine, the social sciences and the humanities, and the behavioural and natural sciences
the ethical review process as established by the TCPS
various methodological approaches to course/tutorial design
currently available technology for on-line course/tutorial design and administration.

In particular, the proposal should contain information in the following order:

Part A

Principal applicant's name (one principal applicant only) and signature
Full mailing address; telephone/fax/e-mail
Title of project
Project schedule together with a total budget showing the cost for each project component
List of all co-applicants with affiliations and the amount of time each will devote to project tasks
A curriculum vitae (maximum of 2 pages) for each team member including an indication of how the member's past experience is relevant to the project.

Part B

Proposed objectives
An outline of the proposed tutorial design, including methods to be used and any associated strengths or weaknesses
Applicant/team strengths, including the combination of skills and abilities to meet project objectives. Applicants are encouraged to form multi-disciplinary, multi-skilled teams to draw on knowledge and expertise in various fields of research, including biomedicine, the social sciences and the humanities, and the behavioural and natural sciences, as well as in the various pedagogies and methods relating to tutorial design and delivery.

Language and Translation

Both the proposal and the initial development of tutorial content can be carried out in either official language.

The Project Authority assumes responsibility for translation of the tutorial. Developers of the tutorial, however, are required to participate in reviewing the translation (to the best of their bilingual abilities) in order to ensure its accuracy and consistency at all stages of the tutorial's development and implementation.

Evaluation

The Authority intends to evaluate the tutorial's effectiveness. The exact form of such evaluation and arrangements for it will be determined with the successful applicant prior to commencement of the contract.

Adjudication of Proposals

The contract will be awarded by the Panel upon recommendation from an Adjudication Committee, consisting of the Panel's Education Working Group and other invited individuals with expertise in the areas of ethics education and web-based course/tutorial design, as well as of representatives from end-user groups. The Panel's decision will be final, without any right of appeal.

Selection Criteria

Selection of the successful proposal will be made according to the following criteria:

Demonstrated familiarity with the Panel and Secretariat's mandate and knowledge of the TCPS and other information required for conducting the project
Appropriateness and suitability of the proposed tutorial model and methods
Demonstrated understanding of the work to be accomplished
The overall comprehensiveness, creativity and rigour of the proposed approach
Significant and demonstrated experience in course/tutorial design and its Web-enablement
The quality and expertise of the proposed team
Flexibility and willingness to collaborate in the process
Demonstrated capacity to perform the work within the specified timeframe.

The tutorial and all material that result from this project will become the Panel's property and will be made available via the Panel Web site free of charge. The developers will be recognized on the Web site for their contribution to the tutorial.

Project Management Responsibility

Proposals should be submitted to:

Secretariat on Research Ethics
Constitution Square, Tower I
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1H5

Questions concerning the proposals should be directed to Natalia Bendin, telephone (613) 996-2569, e-mail address Natalia.Bendin@pre.ethics.gc.ca.

For additional information and requirements see:

APPENDIX I Requirements for Tutorial Content, Structure and Design

APPENDIX II Implementation Schedule and Reporting Requirements

* Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council respectively.

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Last Modified: 2003-07-21

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