A letter of authorization, prepared according to the Ministry template and signed by the mandated person, is sent by the Research Office to the principal investigator once all the results of the evaluations are obtained and deemed positive. It is only upon receipt of this letter that research activities can begin. If the institution is a site participating in the project, a copy of the letter of authorization is sent to the evaluating Research Ethics Board (REB).
Before receiving the letter of authorization, the principal investigator receives a letter from the REB attesting to the positive outcome of the science and ethics assessment. If there is a contract, he or she receives a signed copy from the administration of the research center or MWI IUHSSC authorities, as appropriate. In contrast, no letter from the outcome of the Site-specific requirements review is given to the researcher. This result is communicated through the letter of authorization.