International Clinical Trials Day (ICTD) is an opportunity to recognize the vital role that clinical trials play in advancing medical knowledge and improving health outcomes. Each year, on May 20, we honour the contributions of everyone involved in clinical trials—from participants and researchers to ethics board members and sponsors.
For ICTD 2025, we’re spotlighting the research ethics review process and its central role in protecting participants and ensuring trials are conducted responsibly. Research ethics review isn’t just a procedural step—it’s foundational to building public trust in clinical research.
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Why is the research ethics review process so important?
Research ethics review is a critical step in the clinical trial process. It ensures that studies are designed and conducted in a way that respects and protects the rights, safety, and well-being of participants.
One of the most important aspects of this process is informed consent—which is much more than just a form. Informed consent is an ongoing conversation that ensures potential participants understand what the study involves, what their rights are, what risks may be present, and that participation is entirely voluntary. A strong ethics review helps make sure this process is clear, respectful, and meaningful.
Ethics review also assesses how the study will minimize risks, protect vulnerable populations, and handle participant data securely. It’s about putting participants at the centre of research and making sure their dignity and autonomy are upheld every step of the way.
What is the Role of the Research Ethics Board?
A Research Ethics Board (REB) is an independent group of experts and community members who review clinical trial protocols to ensure they meet established ethical and regulatory standards.
REBs assess many components of a trial, including:
- Whether a study’s potential risks are balanced with potential benefits
- How informed consent will be obtained and documented
- The safeguards in place to protect participants’ rights, privacy, and safety
- How the research team plans to handle any ethical issues or study changes that may arise during the trial
REB members come from diverse backgrounds, including health care, science, ethics, and law—bringing multiple perspectives to each review.
Future of Research Ethics Review in Canada
Research ethics review is a cornerstone of safe, participant-focused clinical trials. But for multi-site studies, fragmented or repetitive review processes can slow down study start-up and delay access to promising treatments.
That’s why coordinated, streamlined approaches are so important—not just for researchers and institutions, but for the patients waiting on the other side.
Our Stream platform has played a pivotal role in transforming how research ethics review is conducted in Ontario. By enabling a centralized, efficient process for multi-site trials, Stream has helped reduce duplication, strengthen consistency, and support an efficient review system.
But clinical trials don’t happen in provincial silos—they happen across the country. Now, as we look to the future of ethics review in Canada, it’s time to remove interprovincial barriers.
One system shaping that future is CanReview, a pan-Canadian initiative designed to support a single research ethics review for multi-site trials across jurisdictions. With its collaborative model, CanReview builds on what works, bringing together REBs, institutions, sponsors, and others to create a system where research can move more efficiently while always protecting participants.
This future-focused approach is critical to ensuring that Canada remains a leader in responsible clinical research. By working together, we can enable faster access to innovative therapies, more inclusive trials, and better outcomes for all.
To learn more about CanReview and how it’s shaping the future of ethics review in Canada, visit CanReview.ca.
The Patient’s Perspective
In our latest #TalkClinicalTrials blog, patients share their perspective on the research ethics review process. Their stories shed light on the challenges they face—and where there’s room to make the process more efficient, inclusive, and accessible.
Ethics review plays a vital role in protecting participants. But it’s just as important to ensure the system evolves to better serve the people it’s meant to support.
Patient voices are key to shaping a clinical trial environment that’s built on trust, equity, and timely access.
📖 Read the full blog here