1. Introduction

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1.1 A Low Risk Project - involves conditions where the risks of harm are not greater or more likely than those encountered in everyday life. Low Risk Projects are limited to:

• Some surveys

• Some food and drink projects

• Some caffeinated beverage projects

• Some absorption through the skin projects

• Some exercise projects

 

Section 3.3 below has a detailed discussion of each of these.  A project is not Low Risk just because you think no one will be harmed.  It is a project that fits one of these five criteria.

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1.2 Any project that involves humans and is beyond the definitions listed in Section 3 below are to be treated as Significant Risk Projects. If you think you're project is considered a Significant Risk project, you must contact us for approval prior to beginning your project. 

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2. Definitions

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2.1 Human Research refers to any project that involves the generation of data about persons.

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2.2 A Student Researcher is one who takes data or collects information or assists in research activities involving humans.

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2.3 A Participant is a person who takes part in a project or activity and so is a source of primary data, and bears any risk as the research is being carried out. The Student Researcher may also be a Participant.

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2.4 The Adult Supervisor, a parent, teacher, professor, or scientist is responsible for ensuring that the student is aware of the ethical issues involved in the project and provides guidance and advice to ensure that WMSF policy is followed. The Adult Supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the student's research is eligible for entry into the WMSF. Every project involving the participation of humans or the use of animals requires an Adult Supervisor.

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3. Low Risk Projects

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3.1 Surveys of Attitudes and Beliefs, Skill Tests, or Observations of Behaviour

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These are generally Low Risk Projects. Be aware however that not all survey/skill testing studies are automatically low risk. For example, a project to measure the Body Mass Index of a class could cause considerable discomfort to students who perceive themselves to be overweight. Skill testing could be a difficult experience for a participant who scores well below the group average. It is the responsibility of the adult supervisor to ensure that participants are not put at risk, either physically or emotionally. Mechanisms such as discussion and debriefing should be used to minimize any remaining risk.

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3.2 Food and Drink Projects

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1. Projects involving the consumption of food or drink are considered Low Risk when they are designed only to assess the characteristics and effects of a common food.  This is defined as"any article manufactured, sold or represented for use as food or drink for human beings".   

2. The foods to be considered are basic or common foods that contain permitted additives not exceeding Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) guidelines normally associated with those foods.

3. Evaluation of foods in youth (under the age of 19 years) must only involve participants who are not taking prescription medications, to minimize the risk of drug-food interactions.

4. Some provinces have put in place rules that govern ingestion of food by the public, and these take precedence over the rules in this section. Students doing ingestion projects must know the applicable procedures required for the safe handling of food.

 

3.3 Caffeinated Beverages.

 

The daily limits of caffeine intake for Science Fair Projects are:

1. 200 mg caffeine per day for subjects aged 13 and older.

2. 85 mg caffeine per day for subjects aged 10 to 12.

3. No Projects involving caffeinated foods or drinks permitted in subjects under 10 years of age.

 

Caffeine is found in soft drinks, coffee, tea, iced coffee, energy drinks, and many other food and drink products. It is the responsibility of the student researcher and the adult supervisor to ensure that the above daily limits are not exceeded in any Science Fair Project. Health Canada has expressed concerns about excessive intake of caffeine by Canadians, especially children and youth (see here). Thus the ingestion of caffeine in Science Fair Projects must be closely monitored and kept within reasonable limits according to Health Canada recommendations.

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3.4 Absorption through the skin

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Projects that involve absorption through the skin must satisfy the rules for a Low Risk project and involve a risk of harm no greater than that encountered in everyday life. Thus a project comparing different ways of removing bacteria using different brands of hand sanitizer is permissible. A project that involves putting benzene on the skin is not.

 

3.5 Exercise Testing

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All Exercise Testing beyond normal every day activities is considered Significant Risk.

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4. Informed Consent

 

4.1 Human participants must be assured that they are safe, that they are treated with respect and dignity, and that the information they provide will be kept confidential. These ethical safeguards are primarily the responsibility of the science fair student researchers and their supervisors.  The process of providing this information is called "Informed Consent".

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4.2 The Adult Supervisor is responsible for supervision of ethical as well as scientific aspects of a Low Risk Project, and also must sign Form PHLR Human Participants – Low Risk ensuring that the essential elements of ethics review: consent, confidentiality and the right to withdraw are considered.

 

4.3 Participants must give informed consent BEFORE taking part in any science fair project. The project and their participation in it have to be explained to children in words they will understand. It must also be explained to children that they do not have to participate unless they want to, even if their parents have approved. Agreement to participate (assent) must be documented for each participant. Children over 9 years can be invited to indicate their assent by co-signing the same form their parent signed. Younger children can provide assent orally but the researcher must document it.

 

4.4  If the participant is under the age of majority (18), then the parent or guardian must also sign the Informed Consent Permission Form.

 

4.5 If the participant is over the age of majority (18) but not able to consent for themselves, the participant's legal guardian must sign the consent form. Assent of the participant must also be documented.

 

4.6 In the case of activities that are clearly of very low risk such as some surveys, or such as having participants listen to music, Informed Consent may be assumed by the simple act of agreeing to participate. The participants (or their parents or guardians if they are under 18) must still be provided beforehand with the Letter of Information, even though their signed informed consent will not be sought. If a teacher is supervising many very low risk projects in a class, where every student is participating in several projects, it is easiest to have one Letter of Information to give to each student, where all applicable projects are listed. Please see Forms Section 3 below. 

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Please note that signed Informed Consent Forms are mandatory in all cases for projects that involved sampling food or drink, because of the risk of allergic reactions unknown to the teacher. 

 

4.7 Informed Consent - Letter of Information

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The following 11 points must be covered in the Letter of Information to ensure that the participants have been properly informed of all appropriate ethical issues:

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1. The name(s) of the researcher(s), school, project title, the Adult Supervisor’s name, email address and telephone number.

2. The purpose of this research

3. The benefits to the participant from participating

4. The risks to the participant from participating

5. What time commitment is required

6. No remuneration or reward will be paid for participation in projects displayed at the Western Manitoba Science Fair.

7. How will the confidentiality of the participants' personal data be guaranteed; and state that the participants' personal data will be shredded/deleted after the science fair. 

8. Clearly explain that the participant has the right to withdraw at any time for any reason without consequences of any kind.

9. Explain how the participant would communicate a decision to withdraw from the study

10. How will the results of the research be communicated to the participant

11. Any other issues that need to be included in the Letter of Information

 

A sample for Informed Consent - Letter of Information is available in the Forms section below. 

 

4.8 Informed Consent – Permission Form

 

The Informed Consent - Permission Form is a short document that contains:

1. The printed name and signature of the Participant.

2. The printed name and signature of the person obtaining the Informed Consent.

3. The signature of a parent or guardian.

4. A statement that the Participant has received and understood the Informed Consent - Letter of Information.

5. The date.

 

A sample Informed Consent – Permission Form is available in the Forms section below.

 

4.9 Confidentiality

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The confidentiality and anonymity of all participants must be maintained. Use coded systems of references; no identifying information may be used. Appropriate safeguards for storage and access to information must be planned. The date the participants' personal information will be destroyed must be given. 

 

5 Display

 

The project display may include pictures of participants only if prior permission has been obtained in writing.

 

6 Forms

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These are the forms that are required for a project that falls under the above Policy: 

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1. Informed Consent. BEFORE humans participate in a project, they must give their informed consent

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• Informed Consent - Letter of Information – example

• Informed Consent - Letter of Information - blank Use it to explain your project. Give one to every participant to keep. Submit a blank copy with your WMSF entry form and bring a blank copy to the fair.

• Informed Consent – Permission Form Every participant must sign one. The Adult Supervisor must store them securely. These must be shredded after the science fair season is over. Submit a blank copy with your WMSF entry form and bring a blank copy to the fair. 

2. Adult Supervisor Certification of Compliance of Low Risk Projects: 

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• Download Form PHLR: Participation of Humans Low Risk - Certification of Compliance.

• Fill it in and get it signed. Full instructions are on page 2 of the form.

• Keep the original in a safe place. Submit a photocopy with your WMSF entry form and bring a copy to the fair. 

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3. Implied Informed Consent for Very Low Risk Projects

 

Please see section 4.6 above to determine if the project would be considered very low risk.  

 

If a teacher is supervising many very low risk projects in a class, where every student is participating in several projects, it is easiest to have one Letter of Information to give to each student, where all applicable projects are listed. 

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• Implied Informed Consent - Letter of Information - blank.  Use it to list the project(s).  Give one to every participant to keep. Submit a copy with your WMSF entries package. 

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