On Single REB Review

On February 5, our group sent a letter to CanReview expressing serious concerns about its plan to implement a single REB review model in Canada without a means to objectively and independently validate participating REBs.  We outlined key gaps in its proposed approach and offered a proven, long-standing solution to assess REB quality: Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) accreditation.

HRPP accreditation is an internationally recognized, evidence-based program that provides an objective assessment of REB quality. It is also the backbone of SMART IRB, the single REB system operating in the United States. Today, over 1,350 institutions are members of SMART IRB—demonstrating both its credibility and broad adoption. To date, we have received no response to our letter.  

Meanwhile, CanReview continues to move forward as though HRPP accreditation is not part of the conversation. CanReview does not have a mandate from Canadian stakeholders—no public consultation ever took place. Yet its unvalidated single REB model carries real consequences for research quality and research participant protection in our country.   In the interest of transparency and accountability, we are now making our letter public (see below).

Our goal is not to criticize, but to advocate for a system that puts research participant protection and research integrity first.   We encourage others in the research community to read our letter and speak up.

Ask CanReview why it is willfully ignoring HRPP accreditation—a solution with a 23-year track record of protecting research participants and upholding research quality and integrity! Time to put your oar in 🛶! Thank you.