CHIPER HREB Chair Call for Nominations

Research Improvements Through Harmonization in Manitoba (RITHIM), on behalf of Research Manitoba (RM), is accepting nominations for a CHIPER Chair to work with the Health Research Ethics Board (HREB) subcommittee. The position takes effect July 1, 2026, and an honorarium will be provided. The initial appointment is for a three-year renewable term.

The Committee for Harmonized Health Impact, Privacy, and Ethics Review (CHIPER)

CHIPER’s mandate is to provide robust reviews of health research ethics as outlined in the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS2). CHIPER will conduct reviews of research projects to ensure that researchers adhere to ethical principles with respect to the conduct of research.

CHIPER is comprised of the Biomedical Research Ethics Board (BREB) and Health Research Ethics Board (HREB). Both boards have a Vice-Chair to support the Chairs.

Responsibilities of the CHIPER Chair

The CHIPER Chair provides overall leadership for the CHIPER committees and their work.  The Chair oversees process to ensure that the rights, welfare, and privacy of research participants are adequately protected, and that the benefits of the research justify the risks to the research participants. Representing CHIPER in its interactions with stakeholders, the Chair fosters collaborative relationships and effective communication.

The Chair presides over monthly CHIPER HREB meetings and conducts delegated reviews where appropriate, signing off on all CHIPER HREB decisions in writing.

The Chair is responsible for keeping current on applicable regulations, guidelines, and policies governing HREB functions.  In conjunction with the RITHIM office personnel, the Chair assesses the educational and training needs of CHIPER members pertaining to human participant research and addresses any gaps.

The Chair works alongside the RITHIM Office staff, assisting in the selection and orientation of new CHIPER members.

The Chair reports to the Provincial RITHIM Committee (PRC), serving as an ex-officio member.

Qualifications

Experienced (current or retired) REB members, researchers, or clinicians from academic institutions, research centres, or relevant government agencies, are eligible for appointment as a CHIPER Chair

The following attributes will be considered:

• knowledge of and experience in the current research ethics environment;
• knowledge of ethics and privacy literature and debates;
• knowledge of provincial, national and international guidelines, regulations, and policies and their application to the research overseen by CHIPER;
• preferably has at least two years of experience as a reviewer on a research ethics review board;
• expertise in an area of research under the scope of CHIPER;
• experience with committee work, especially acting as a Chair;
• willingness to learn and to continuously update knowledge and skills;
• ability and willingness to work as part of a team, both in relation to the CHIPER membership, Vice-Chair, and the RITHIM office;
• personal and professional interest and motivation in, and commitment to, the role of the CHIPER Chair;
• ability to manage workload in a timely manner;
• ability to positively represent CHIPER, RITHIM, Research Manitoba, and its affiliates locally, regionally, and nationally; and
• ability and willingness to undertake all Chair responsibilities.

 In addition, the ideal candidate will be familiar with web-based systems and/or have the ability to adapt to the current web-based processes.

 Submission Process

Interested individuals are asked to send a CV and cover letter summarizing their relevant experience and background to:

Provincial RITHIM Committee (PRC)
c/o Elizabeth Lylyk, Director, RITHIM
Email: Elizabeth.lylyk@researchmb.ca

Submissions will be accepted until the Chair position is filled.