Dear Nova Scotia Health Research Community,

The newsletter is the primary method for dissemination of new information, reminders, and updates for the research community. We hope you find our newsletter both helpful and informative. We welcome your comments, suggestions, and content for future editions.

Please contact us with any questions or comments regarding research and clinical trials. You can reach us at ResearchQuality@nshealth.ca. We are here to support you!

Accessibility for patient-facing reading materials

Did you know the minimum font size for patient-facing documents should be 12 according to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), with the pamphlet font size recommended to be 14? Ensuring your patient-facing documents are accessible to all is important and a shared responsibility as health care employees. If you have any questions, email AskLibrary@nshealth.ca , or reach out for more information.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) vs. Work Instructions (WI)

• SOPs describe step by step how to complete a task, enact policy, or follow a standard accurately and consistently.
• Nova Scotia Health Research adopted the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) as a standard to protect the rights and welfare of participants in human research. To abide by this standard and institutional policy, the HRPP core team is developing HRPP SOPs for the organization-wide program.
• Implementing the HRPP SOPs reduces the burden and redundancy of each research team needing to create and update SOPs.
• The HRPP SOPs apply to all research teams.

There may be times when the HRPP SOPs may require special considerations for an individual research team. This is when Work Instructions (WI) comes into play.

• Think of a WI as a subset of an SOP that provides documented guidelines for a single action.
• WI can be created by any team member and typically are approved by their manager or PI.
• There is no institutional requirement for WI to be signed. This would be a research team decision but should be consistent when WI are created.
• A work instruction could also be used to ensure consistent practice for a single protocol or related document process for which there is not an SOP in place or need for creation. Check with Research Quality for further discussion.
• Not all the fields in the masthead of the WI are required (see below). Once again, this can be a research team decision. 

• Not all Work Instructions need to be submitted to the REB.
• HRPP-SOP-004 (Consent Development and Obtaining of Consent) does require REB submission as research teams vary in how re-consent of participants is done.
• Any Work Instruction that involves using research participants’ personal identifying information (for example mailing of investigational product to a participant’s home) or personal health information would require submission to the REB.

Please open the link below for more information about SOPs and Work Instructions and to locate the Work Instruction template.

Finding and Using Policy - Policy - LibGuides at Nova Scotia Health

SOPS Needed?

Does your team need an SOP that has not yet been written by HRPP? Please reach out to HRPP@nshealth.ca with your suggestions.

NovaStudies Connect AI-Generated Plain Language Summaries

The AI-generated plain language summary feature is now available in the NovaStudies Connect production environment. This tool helps generate summaries in simple language, making it easier for participants to understand the study description.

Please note that this feature does not automatically publish any generated text. The text must be manually copied and pasted into the introduction text field of a study to be made publicly available. As a reminder, lay summaries must be approved by the REB before they can be published.

A guidance document has been developed that demonstrates how to generate, draft, and publish these descriptions.

Please reach out to rebecca.robichaud@nshealth.ca if you have any questions.

NovaStudies Connect Training Session

A NovaStudies Connect training session will take place December 9th 10AM-11AM. Please email researchoperations@nshealth.ca to register.

Education Lunch and Learns:

The first Research Education Lunch and Learn session will now be held on Tuesday, January 7 from 12-1pm and the topic will be Common Internal Audit Findings. You can join the meeting here: Click here to join the Research Education Lunch and Learn via Teams

The second Lunch and Learn will be held Tuesday January 28 from 12-1pm and the topic will be Submitting to REB - Tips and Tricks. Join the January Lunch and Learn at the link below:

Click here to join the Research Education Lunch and Learn via Teams

By popular demand! Any upcoming research education events including HRPP lunch & learns will qualify for a certificate for continuing education credits. Just make sure to scan the QR code in the presentation to get your certificate emailed to you!

We would love to hear specific topics you would like to see in the Lunch and Learn sessions moving forward so we can build the program that will meet your expectations. Please email researcheducation@nshealth.ca with topics of interest, and we will do our best to meet your demands!

 High School Co-op Wrap-up Event

A letter from Sr. Director Dr. Ashley Hilchie to all who have contributed to the High School Co-op program (March 2023-present):

I wanted to extend our sincere thank you for graciously bringing Research Co-op students into your workspace the past couple of semesters. Their time with you has been incredibly insightful and inspirational as they make decisions regarding their future career paths. I personally have enjoyed working with these students as well, knowing how early they are in their academic studies and realizing what an impact this program has on their career decisions.

I greatly appreciate your involvement and acknowledge the time you have invested has been “off the side of your desk”, with little return other than a sense of involvement in the student’s lives, for which we are grateful.

I wanted to reach out to you for two reasons. First, I wanted you to know that your contributions have not gone unnoticed. I have heard first-hand through the Research Education team that several of our participants have started to consider future careers in this area due to this work. What an incredible impact that is! As such, the second reason I wanted to reach out is to personally invite you to a drop-in thank-you event to show our appreciation for all who contributed to the success of this program. Please stop by for light refreshments and good company as we recognize your hard work and dedication! We are extending this invite to past and present contributors so please share with anyone on your team who helped guide the high school students!

When: January 8, 2025

Time: 10 am-12 pm

Where: RMU room at the CCR

We hope to see you there!

Thank you again for your time and commitment to the program. We couldn’t do this without you! We will reach out in the new year for volunteers for the Spring semester running March – May 2025. Please reach out for inquiries: researcheducation@nshealth.ca

Sink or Swim Workshop

Join our two-day workshop on January 29 and 30, 2025 from 9 am-4 pm both days, focusing on the practical application of Health Canada’s Regulations and Standards to the conduct of clinical trial research in Canada. Emphasis is placed on research involving investigational medicinal products and/or natural health products.

This virtual session is comprised of lectures and research scenarios and is recommended for new research employees working day-to-day on industry-sponsored clinical trial research. Email andrea.dean@nshealth.ca to register. Free for Nova Scotia Health Employees. $50 fee for external participants.

Upcoming opportunities and deadlines:

The current grant deadline list can be found here: Upcoming Research Grant Opportunities - Dec-Feb 2025.pdf

 Upcoming Opportunity: CIHR Travel Awards – Institute Community Support

Objective: Provide travel funds to support individuals engaged in research and knowledge translation activities that align with the priorities of CIHR’s Initiatives or the vision, mandate, and strategic directions of CIHR’s Institutes. Each participating Institute/Initiative has their own relevant Research Areas.

 The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $468,000, enough to fund approximately 205 awards. The maximum amount per grant varies by the sponsoring Institute and Initiative.

                                       Details: ResearchNet - RechercheNet

IMPORTANT DATES:

1. Full Application Deadline: January 7th, 2025
2. Anticipated Notice of Funding Decision: March 2025

AWARD TERM: Travel must occur between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026

Did you know that before Penicillin got its name, it was referred to as “mold juice”?

In 1928 Alexander Fleming was sorting through petri dishes of Staphylococcus (a bacteria known to cause sore throat and abscesses), when he noted something unusual in one dish. Mold was preventing bacteria around it from growing, and he learned that the mold was secreting a chemical to protect itself against and kill the bacteria. He referred to it as mold juice. It was later re-named Penicillin. 

Thank you for reading the Research Bulletin! Please note there will not be an edition in January so the next edition will be February 2025. Happy Holidays!

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