Association representatives have had the opportunity to meet with the Employer for discussions regarding research, particularly the research ethics approval process. At the most recent meeting, we learned about some of the things that are happening in response to the challenging experiences faculty members have brought to the attention of the Association, and that we have in turn brought to the attention of the Employer.
Some of the research challenges described by faculty shared with the Employer include:
- Running graduate programs at other universities because of slow process
- Switching areas of research to avoid hassle
- A lack of consistency = information needed changes with every application, eventually get back to where started
- Unnecessary and intrusive questioning from ethics committees
- Type of research impacts speed of approval = Application reviewers want closed not open-ended questions. Projects with lots of open-ended questions take longer
- overreach = talented faculty getting no credit for their experience and knowledge, consistently requested to justify what they are studying and their methodologies
- Leadership = Every faculty member can come up with questions regarding research. Questions from ethics committees often have nothing to do with ethics, it is curiosity and results in wasting faculty members’ time
We suggested the employer communicate what it has been doing to improve the research environment at our university, and we are hopeful that will happen. However, in the meantime, we felt it important to relay to you some of the things we heard in our most recent discussion.
The Employer advised its goal is to become the gold standard for research ethics processes. It stated its view is the Office of the Vice-President Research works for faculty not vice versa. In addition, the Employer stated that if grants are going elsewhere, it is their failure and ask faculty to connect if they are considering that approach.
Other things we heard included:
- There is a new system in the works for the ethics approval process. In the meantime, there is triaging of applications.
- There are now 2 committees, with co-chairs, dealing with animal care applications.
- Staffing levels have been increased:
- Animal: University Veterinarian, 2 Ethics Coordinators, 1 specialist,
- Human: 2 Specialists, 2 Coordinators, Director of Human Ethics.
- Number of days between submitting an ethics application and its approval has been reduced. Times are openly posted [https://vpresearch.usask.ca/ethics/human-ethics.php]. Average is 60 days for behavioural, 100 for full board.
- Effort of ethics office is to ask, “How much can we do instead of faculty to make it better?”
We have invited representatives from the OVPR to continue discussions regarding research challenges facing faculty.
We will keep you posted.