Research Ethics Advisor
uwaterloo · Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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Job Requisition ID:
2026-03375
Time Type:
Full time
Employee Group:
Staff
Job Category:
Governance
Employment Type:
Temporary
Department:
Office of the Vice-President, Research and International - Research Ethics II
Hiring Range:
$73,695.42 - $92,119.28
Posting Information:
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
Term: 14 months
The internal posting deadline for this position is October 29, 2026 at 11:59PM
This position is being offered as a secondment or temporary contract.
Job Description:
Primary Purpose
The Research Ethics Advisor (REA) serves as the primary liaison between the Office of Research Ethics (ORE) and the researcher and his/her research team. The REA is responsible for facilitating the research ethics submission and review process and overseeing the effectiveness and efficiency of the online ethics review system. The REA ensures that the daily operations comply with internal and external requirements. The REA roles support the four research ethics review committees and two advisory committees along with internal and external stakeholders (e.g., researchers, government agencies, accreditation committees/auditors, faculty/department and other administrative staff) regarding the requirements for and outcomes of the ethics review of proposed research. The REA is responsible for developing reports and tracking required information to establish performance metrics for the ORE.
Key Accountabilities
Facilitate and conduct ethical analysis of research
- Point persons for all inquiries and questions regarding research compliance obligations including the requirements and processes involved with obtaining and maintaining ethics clearance.
- Provides consultation to faculty, student and staff researchers regarding the ethics review process and the required ethical obligations according to institutional, national and provincial requirements and guidelines
- Conducts delegated review of specified minimal risk ethics applications
- Reviews revisions of designated research ethics applications to ensure the reviewers’ comments have been addressed, meet the required ethical requirements and guidelines, and recommend approval for the research to proceed
- Reviews amendments/modifications of protocols/ethics applications to assess risk level and recommend approval for the change to be made to the research
- Promptly and effectively respond to all telephone, mail, and email/web inquiries and questions from faculty, staff, students from any of the six faculties, affiliated Colleges or research institutes, including non-Waterloo researchers or partners regarding research compliance including the ethics review process and administrative requirements
- Provides advice and assistance about Waterloo’s research ethics process, guidelines, policies and other information as needed by relaying it clearly and accurately
- Interprets international, federal, provincial, and institutional policies and procedures as it related to Waterloo’s ethics review process and communicate these policies and procedures to researchers, staff, and students
- Maintains professionalism at all times in conflict situations; use interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and delicate situations and cases (e.g., where research grant support is conditional upon ethics clearance or when an application is time-sensitive or in need of review by multiple offices/levels (e.g., Safety Office)
- Develops and maintains positive working relationships directly with researchers and ethics committee and advisory committee members to build credibility and encourage proactive discussions and anticipatory analysis of ethical issues in the application undergoing review
- Makes recommendations to supervisor on ways to clarify ethical research compliance requirements then draft new guidelines or standard operating procedures that interpret these compliance requirements for Waterloo researchers for review by managers
- Unique to the REA for human research:
- - Establishes, recruits, trains, and monitors the quality, and day to day operations and ethical reviews of the course-based research Delegated Ethics Review Committee according to the terms of reference
- Unique to the REA for animal research:
- - Oversees the coordination of the post-approval monitoring program in collaboration with the Senior Animal Health Technician – PAM
- - Coordinates Animal Care Committee (ACC) tours and inspections by Consulting Veterinarian, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) including the maintenance of records, distribution of reports associated with tours and inspection, and monitors responses and follows through on any required actions
- - Applies procedures for effective monitoring of animal purchases with UWaterloo Purchasing office
Utilize Business Tools, Resources and Processes
- Independently applies standard operating procedures and guidelines to decide on the ethics review route (i.e., either single person delegated, committee delegated or full committee as appropriate) based on several factors and criteria and triages all incoming events (e.g., new applications, annual continuing review, adverse events/incidents, modification, post approval monitoring, protocol deviations, incidental findings)
- Develops standard operating procedures for back-office operations including the Central Animal Facility and other satellite facilities
- Reviews applications for completeness and compliance with submission requirements
- Coordinates the timely review of all research ethics applications through all stages of the ethics clearance process.
- Verifies that the required ethics training has been completed by Waterloo researchers named on applications and communicate to researchers if this training has not been completed
- Maintains the integrity of all electronic and paper files and documents including the input of information into ethics system, auditing of records and files, following up with researchers for outstanding or missing information/documents, unapproved submission, and annual progress reports or suspended/lapsed approvals
- Coordinates the ordering and renewal of key journal subscriptions accreditation/memberships for ORE staff, and maintenance of a library
- Produces a pre-determined list of ongoing descriptive statistical reports concerning key operational benchmarks
Provide Stakeholder Support and Influence
- Provides day-to-day operational and secretariat support to the research ethics and advisory committees by preparing the agenda and minutes, ordering meals, taking care of room bookings and equipment or IT requests
- Maintains up to date committee files such as membership lists, reports, terms of reference, minutes, and orientation materials
- Coordinates and prepares ethics of staff and committee members for site visits from external provincial or federal audit/compliance teams. This includes the advance preparation of audit reports and other supporting documentation, anticipating questions/issues, explaining specific ethics processes, forms, and templates, and following up with requests from auditors for additional information or reports
- Communicates and troubleshoots with researchers regarding non-compliant or incomplete paperwork
- Synthesizes required external reports involving external agencies’ operational audits
- Manages internal and external inspections and national or provincial audit or site-visits
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