The Tri-Council Policy Statement

The three councils that compose the Tri-Council Policy Statement are the three major research granting agencies in Canada. The new Inter-Agency Panel on Research Ethics will provide stewardship for the evolution and development of the Tri-Council Policy Statement.  This policy is not currently regulated by Health Canada, but acts as a guideline for research.  The three councils that compose the Tri-Council are SSHRC, CIHR and NSERC:

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)funds primarily non-medical research.  The research ethics policy applies equally to medical and non-medical research. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is a new research institute that replaces the Medical Research Council.  Most of its research is medical in nature but not exclusively so. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) funds mostly scientific research, but researchers in social sciences are also frequently sponsored. 

The National Council on Ethics in Human Research (NCEHR) acts as a leading interpretor, monitoring and education agency for the research ethics in Canada.  It is funded partly by Health Canada, the Tri-Councils, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons.