Research authorizations under the Fertilizers Act and regulations: After you apply

Application review process

Stage 1

Once the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) receives an application for research authorization form, the CFIA will:

• confirm the research authorization category
• inform the applicant in writing of the decision and the appropriate fees

Stage 2

The next step of the review will start once:

• the CFIA receives the fees
• the information provided satisfies the requirements of the regulations

The CFIA will give the applicant a draft appendix of the research authorization (RA) to:

• make sure it's accurate
• confirm that it reflects the proposed field trial plan

Stage 3

The CFIA will assess any modifications or changes made by the applicant and finalize the research authorization.

Receiving your research authorization

Applicants will receive a research authorization which describes the specific conditions of the trial. The applicant must adhere to the conditions prescribed in the authorization throughout the duration of the trial.

In the case of renewals, applicants will receive a research authorization describing the same conditions as those set out in the previous year (unless new information merits a change).

Inspection

All research trials on novel supplements and fertilizers containing a novel supplement conducted in Canada may be subject to inspection by CFIA inspectors.

The CFIA will generate a detailed inspection report form. The inspection report form is designed to verify compliance of the trial with all conditions prescribed in the authorization. The CFIA inspectors may need help from the researcher/cooperator of the trial to fill out all the required information on the report form. The CFIA greatly appreciates the cooperation of researchers.

Following the field inspection, the inspector will send a completed report form to the Fertilizer Safety Section (FSS) for review and follow up.

An applicant must submit any changes to the research protocol to the FSS for approval before trial inspection.

Records and data reporting

Along with monitoring via data collection, a responsible researcher must monitor the trials on a regular basis. This monitoring must happen at least once every 4 weeks.

The purpose of this monitoring is to assess the:

• health of the plants
• containment of the crop within the field trial plots
• health of any adjacent vegetation, etc.

The researcher should also compare treatment plots to control plots to identify any potential negative effects of the novel supplement or fertilizer containing a novel supplement. The responsible researcher should record observations accordingly. The CFIA doesn't offer templates for these observations.

The responsible researcher must immediately report any unanticipated effect that may be attributed to the release or spread of the novel supplement or the fertilizer containing a novel supplement under test upon its observation to the CFIA.

If the responsible researcher notes any adverse effects associated with the release of the product the CFIA may:

• cancel the research authorization
• need the applicant to take corrective actions to mitigate the risks