This comprehensive guide outlines the steps researchers must take to conduct research responsibly. It addresses contractual, financial, and legal considerations to help protect both the researcher and the institution.

This team supports the secure and efficient management of digital information within the Faculty of Medicine. Services include data access permissions, secure storage, record retention, and digital archiving.

Before using your grant funding, you must open a research account. This page outlines the steps, documents, and approvals required to initiate your account and ensure proper financial management.

The Health Sciences Library offers access to extensive biomedical databases, journals, citation tools, and librarian support tailored to health-related research. It is an essential resource for literature reviews, data searches, and systematic reviews.

For more information, please visit: Health Sciences Library

• Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct

  Academic integrity is a core value at the University of Ottawa. Regulation A‑4, Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct (approved April 17, 2023; effective May 1, 2023), defines behaviors that compromise scholarly integrity—such as plagiarism, cheating (including undisclosed use of AI-generated content), data falsification, fabrication, and misrepresentation. It also outlines the formal procedures for reporting violations, imposing sanctions (ranging from warnings to expulsion), and ensuring fair and transparent disciplinary processes. All members of the university community—students, faculty, and supervisors—are expected to uphold these standards and complete mandatory training when applicable.

  For more information, please visit: Academic Regulation A-4

• Office of Research Ethics and Integrity

  This office ensures that all research conducted at uOttawa meets ethical standards. It provides guidance, training, and review processes for research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data.

  For more information, please visit: Office of Research Ethics and Integrity

This HR portal provides tools and information for hiring and managing research personnel, including employment classifications, onboarding guidelines, and links to forms and policies relevant to research teams.

For more information, please visit: Human Resources (Virtuo)

• Job Descriptions for Research Staff

  Generic job descriptions for research staff support hiring, classification, and HR processes. These descriptions align with institutional policy while recognizing the diversity of roles within research teams. uOttawa credentials are required to access the full list.

  For more information, please visit: Generic Research Job Descriptions (Virtuo)

• Compensation Framework for Research Staff

  These ranges align with institutional policy and reflect the scope and level of responsibility of research roles. uOttawa credentials are required to access detailed information.

  For more information, please visit: Research Staff Compensation Framework (Virtuo)

• Policies Regarding Postdoctoral Fellows

  This policy outlines the status, responsibilities, and entitlements of postdoctoral fellows at uOttawa. It covers supervision, compensation, leave, and expectations for both fellows and their supervisors.

  For more information, please visit: Policy 123 – Postdoctoral Fellows

• Research Stipends for Graduate Students – Faculty of Medicine

  Graduate students in the Faculty of Medicine may be eligible for internal stipends, awards, and financial assistance to support their research. This page outlines available funding opportunities and how to apply.

  For more information, please visit: Stipends & Financial Support

The Office of Risk Management helps researchers identify, mitigate, and manage health, safety, and environmental risks. It plays a key role in ensuring regulatory compliance and institutional safety.

For more information, please visit: Office of Health, Safety and Management - Faculty of Medicine

• Biosafety Program

  Research involving biological agents or materials must comply with institutional biosafety standards. The Biosafety Program offers training, risk assessments, and access to permits and approvals to ensure lab safety and compliance with federal regulations.

  For more information, please visit: Biosafety

• Radiation Safety – Ionizing Radiation and Radioactive Materials

  This program supports the safe use of radioactive materials and ionizing radiation in research. It offers training, protocols, and compliance support in alignment with federal safety standards.

  For more information, please visit: Radiation Safety Program

• Volunteering

  The Faculty of Medicine does not allow for unpaid volunteer research. The decision to move away from unpaid volunteer work at the Faculty of Medicine has been in effect since March 2020 and remains in effect indefinitely. This decision was based on discussions with risk management, human resources, other Faculties at the University of Ottawa, and Faculties of Medicine across Canada.

  In lieu of unpaid volunteers, the expectation is that all staff and trainees will either be paid employees or associated with an academic program (e.g., honors thesis, TMM, co-op, etc.) or formalized volunteerism program (to be reviewed by HR as situations arise).

  In addition to liability and health and safety considerations, this decision is meant to ensure that all members of the university community have equal access to opportunities and are appropriately compensated for the work being done. Considering the rising costs of living, work without pay is becoming an opportunity that is only within reach for a subset of individuals. By receiving academic credit or paid work, we support equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) best practices, track and train all students and staff appropriately, and ensure that they are appropriately covered in the event of an accident or injury.

  In consultation with a supervisor, a student may initiate a 96 hr observership upon approval of the Research Office. Please complete this form with a FoM faculty member FoM Volunteer Fillable Form and send to the Research Office ([email protected]).