If an application is approved by the ERRC, the chair of the committee will make initial contact with the principal of the school(s) listed in the application (if applicable to the project).
An approval from the ERRC in no way obligates principals, staff, students or their families to take part in any research. An approval serves to inform potential participants, including school administration, that an external research project has met all required ethics protocols. School administrators may choose to not participate in a research project at their own professional discretion. The decision for non-participation by school administration will be supported and upheld by Research and Decision Support Services and the ERRC.
The applicant will be contacted within two days of an ERRC decision. Arrangements for the research project will then be made through the principal investigator (PI) and the school administrator (or their delegate). Participation from any individual or group is strictly voluntary, and all consent forms should clearly state that participants may refuse to participate or may withdraw from the study (without consequence) at any time.