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The Standing Committee on Ethics (SCE) consists of a Chair, who is a Governing Council member, plus a minimum of eight (8) members chosen by the Governing Council after receiving advice from its Nominating Committee.

Membership on this committee includes persons who are not members of the Governing Council. Members will reflect a range of expertise. The President of CIHR is an ex-officio non-voting member of SCE, as is the Director of the Ethics Office.

The Standing Committee will meet at least twice per year.

Members will normally be appointed to serve a term of three years that will ensure, as far as possible, the expiry in any one-year of the terms of office of not more than one third of the members. Members can be appointed for no more than two consecutive terms.

A majority of its members (50% plus 1). Ex-officio members are not considered for quorum.

Bourinot's Rules of Order, 4th Edition.

The SCE will identify for Governing Council emerging ethical issues of strategic relevance with respect to health and health research.

The SCE will provide the Governing Council with high-level strategic advice on the ethical, legal and socio-cultural dimensions of CIHR's mandate as set out in the CIHR Act, at its initiative or at the request of the Governing Council or the President, with specific regard to:

• the exercise of ethics leadership;
• the development of ethically sound policies in health research;
• the development of the highest standards of ethics for CIHR and CIHR-funded research;
• the advancement of ethics research and training;
• the linking and bench marking of CIHR's ethics activities to community standards and other national and international organizations, standards and developments, to ensure that CIHR is at the forefront of excellence in these areas.

The SCE will report at each meeting of the Governing Council.

On an annual basis, a review of terms of reference and re-affirmation of membership.

Approved at the 31st Meeting of the CIHR Governing Council held January 25, 2005.

Revised at the 31st Meeting of Governing Council held January 25, 2005.

Approved at the 7th Meeting of the CIHR Governing Council held December 5, 2000.