Focus on responsible conduct of research

Special advisers in responsible conduct of research will soon be a reality at all AU faculties. Researchers will be able to confidentiality make use of the advisers if they experience problems with research practice in their daily work – or if they actually suspect research misconduct in the research environment. The special advisers will be appointed by the deans at the end of June on the recommendation of the academic councils.

Local contingency

At the same time, Rector Brian Bech Nielsen will, on the recommendation of the academic councils, appoint two members from each faculty. They will constitute the new Committee for Responsible Conduct of Research, which will replace the Research Practices Committee that has dealt with cases of possible breaches of responsible conduct of research committed by researchers affiliated with AU over the past 15 years.

The point of departure for the work of the advisers and the committee is a new code of practice to ensure scientific integrity and responsible conduct of research. After a longer consultation process, in the academic environments, the code was adopted by the senior management team and came into force on 25 March this year.

Its overall purpose is to promote a healthy research culture at Aarhus University.

Translated by Peter Lambourne.