Cooperative Activities Program

CAP Application Process for School Division Approval

If you intend to conduct your research within any of the five Edmonton-area school divisions that are part of the Cooperative Activities Program (CAP), you must submit an application through the Faculty of Education’s online CAP application system. Paper-based CAP applications are no longer accepted. All CAP applications must employ the online CAP system.

The five school divisions are Edmonton Public Schools (EPSB), Edmonton Catholic Schools (ECS), Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS), St Albert Public Schools (SPS), and Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools (GSACS).

It is recommended that you check division websites for division priorities and school programming information prior to beginning the application process. The information may be found here:

• Edmonton Public Schools: Division Priorities

• Edmonton Catholic Schools: Division Priorities

• Elk Island Public Schools: Division Priorities

• St Albert Public Schools: Division Priorities

• Greater St Albert Catholic Schools: Division Priorities

The steps for obtaining CAP approval prior to commencing your research are as follows:

1. Receive REB approval from the Research Ethics Office. 

2. Complete the CAP questionnaire form found here.

3. Install the University of Alberta’s Virtual Proxy Network (VPN) app as described here.

4. Complete the online CAP Application here. The introductory application webpage will provide further detail on the application process. Instructions to guide you through the online CAP application can be found here. 

The internal review within the University of Alberta may take up to 3 weeks during more intensive application periods, while at the division level the review may take anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks.

The EPSB, ECS, and GSACS require that all researchers working with children within their division undergo a Police Information Check (PIC). The ECS and GSACS also require that researchers seeking one-on-one alone time with students present a Government of Alberta intervention records check to principals of each school in which they are conducting research. Please do not send these documents to the University of Alberta.

The EPSB reviews applications five times a year. To meet division review timelines, note the following deadlines to submit your EPSB CAP Application for 2023-2024:

• August 21, 2023

• October 23, 2023

• January 8, 2024

• February 20, 2024

• May 13, 2024 

The remaining divisions review applications as they are received throughout the year (excluding July & August). 

For further information regarding CAP, please contact the Cooperative Activities Program at educaps@ualberta.ca.