Information on fees required for ethical review of research.
What are the fees required for ethical review or research?
Fees
**Effective January 1st, 2021, the following fee structure for Fraser Health Research Ethics Board (FHREB) initial and continuing review will be in effect for all industry-sponsored research submitted on or after this date:
- Initial review: $3,500
- Annual renewal: $500
- Major amendments*: $250
*Major amendments are defined as any change to the study design and documentation that impacts the assessment or potential risk to participants. More information can be found in our Guidance notes for amendments.
Industry-sponsored research submitted prior to January 1st, 2021, will be grandfathered and subject to the current one-time initial review fee of $4,000.
This fee applies to:
- Research that receives its funding from an industry sponsor (i.e. pharmaceutical/medical devices company or an agent thereof. Refer to Box #10 of the Application Form).
- Research that receives a grant-in-aid from an industry sponsor when the sponsor may sub-license the data back from the researcher for their own use, such that the grant-in-aid is not without conditions.
- Sub-studies that include a new protocol (i.e. not an amended protocol) and require full board review as a new application.
Payment of the required fee, or a letter stating that the fee will follow and by when, must accompany the Application for Clinical Ethical Review for all industry-sponsored research. It is the responsibility of the principal investigator to ensure that their sponsor is aware of this requirement and to submit the cheque/letter at the time of the submission to the Fraser Health Research Ethics Board.
The research will be reviewed if the fee or letter accompanies the application.
Fee waiver criteria
The fee is waived for:
- Studies receiving a grant-in-aid – normally an investigator-initiated study with partial funding with no data returned to the sponsor in any form or manner (e.g. supply of drugs or devices or a very limited amount of funding from an industry sponsor).
- Studies funded by not-for-profit agencies.
- Studies funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- Studies without funding.
Other fees
Review the Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services Clinical Trials Fee Structure for more information.
How do I submit my fee?
- Complete page 12 of the Application Form if the research meets the criteria described above.
- For cheques sent to the Department of Evaluation and Research Services after the submission of the initial application, accompany the cheque with a memo that identifies the study by citing the principal investigator's name and the exact study title.
- If an invoice is required, indicate if an invoice is required on page 12 of the Application Form. Requests for invoices sent to the Department of Evaluation and Research Services after an application is submitted, must include the exact title of the research study and the principal investigator's name.
How can I get a refund?
Full refund: The fee will be refunded if the associated research study is withdrawn prior to review.
Partial refund: $1,500 of the fee amount is refundable if the associated research study is withdrawn after the review and before the specific contract for the study is signed.