SCOC will meet regularly in March and September. Teleconferences will be held as necessary above and beyond the regular meeting. It is anticipated that researchers will be informed of the results of the SCOC review within six weeks of the SCOC meeting.
All applications to be reviewed by SCOC require a completed Application form for SCOC Review. This includes applications for new research projects, revisions to grants that did not previously include human pluripotent stem cell research, and amendments to applications previously approved by SCOC.
All required documentation should be sent to:
Lynne Cayer
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Address locator: 4809A (mail only, do not list on courier weighbills)
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
Applications for SCOC review should only be submitted for research applications that have already been approved for funding by a research funding organization.
Applications to be reviewed by SCOC may be submitted by the Agency or other funding organization at any time following approval for funding to the Stem Cell Oversight Committee (SCOC).
Projects that have been given approval to use specific human pluripotent stem cell lines must resubmit their research for review should major changes in the direction of the research plan be introduced. This would include the use of additional human pluripotent stem cell lines that have not previously been approved by SCOC. An amended application must describe any changes in the research plan.
Researchers who wish to use additional SCOC-approved stem cell lines not described in the original application without major changes in the research plan only need to notify SCOC in writing. This notification should include details of the original application and provide the names of the additional stem cell lines to be used.
Applications proposing changes to ongoing research projects involving human pluripotent stem cells should be submitted as soon as possible, at any time during the year, for SCOC review.
The Access to Information Act (ATI) gives Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada a limited right of access to information in federal government records. The Privacy Act gives Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada access to information about themselves and specifies the uses to which personal information can be put. The Privacy Act sets out the rules and conditions governing the collection, retention and disposal of personal information. It also provides a use and disclosure code for the protection of this information. This code stipulates the criteria under which information can be disclosed, including for what purposes and to whom it may be disclosed. All information collected by CIHR is subject to these laws.
For your information, SCOC has developed Consent Templates to assist researchers as they craft their own Consent Forms.
The Stem Cell Oversight Committee would like to thank Dr. Mickie Bhatia for his assistance. Dr. Bhatia's consent package for the derivation of human embryonic stem cell lines is exceptionally well thought out and was used to develop this sample consent information.
