Ethics Process

Students in the PhD Program in Indigenous Studies participate in two ethics processes at Trent. The first is the Research Ethics Board (REB) and the second is the PhD Program Ethics Process. Students should begin to engage with these process early in the second year to make sure all ethical considerations have been taken into account.  Please note that these ethics processes only provide approval at a program and university level, they cannot grant permission to conduct research in an Indigenous community or with an Indigenous organization.

Indigenous communities and organizations have their own ethics processes. Students working with Indigenous communities and organizations should engage with those processes early in the first year to avoid possible delays. An approval letter from an Indigenous community or organization helps to secure program and university ethics approval more quickly.

In addition to a completed REB ethics application, candidates in the Indigenous Studies PhD Program must submit a completed Statement of Benefits form to the Program Administrator.

The Statement of Benefits asks students to consider the following:

1. What is your personal interest in undertaking this research, and how do you see it benefiting you?
2. How is this topic relevant to Indigenous scholarship and the PhD Vision Statement?
3. How will this research benefit the professional, policy, or community needs and/or aspirations of Indigenous peoples or Nations?
4. How will Indigenous knowledge be respected and protected in this dissertation research?
5. What other steps are you taking to ensure that this research is being carried out in accordance with the values of ethical Indigenous research? (e.g., following community consultation processes and protocols) 

The Research Ethics Board protocol submission should be submitted to the Research Office via the ROMEO platform as soon as your dissertation proposal is complete.

Please see the Protocol Submission Guide on the Office of Research and Innovation website.

Protocol Submissions submitted two weeks prior to the REB meeting date will generally be reviewed at the next meeting.

You can view the REB meeting schedule below. (New dates coming soon!)

The 2024-25 Meeting Schedule:

All meetings are the third Wednesday of every month, 10am-12pm in Bata Library BL206.