Cooperative Activities Program

CAP Application Process for School Division Approval

If you intend to conduct your research within any of the fourEdmonton-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. 

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

Note: EPSB has initiated its own Research Proposal form and submission criteria to evaluate research requests to the division.  Effective July 1, 2025, the CAP Office will engage in a 1-year pilot program with EPSB as the school division rolls-out use of this new application process. All applications to complete research within Edmonton Public Schools must be made directly to the EPSB research team by following the application instructions found on their website. Applicants with specific questions about completing the EPSB Research Proposal are encouraged to contact the EPSB research team (research@epsb.ca). Instructors requiring course-based research projects that may involve EPSB, in any way, are strongly encouraged to contact the EPSB research team well in advance.

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 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 before commencing your research are as follows:

1. Receive REB approval from the Research Ethics Office. 

2. Complete the CAP questionnaire form found here.

3. 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.

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.

School divisions review CAP 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.