Research Ethics
The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina have analyzed the tension between "freedom of research and responsibility" across disciplines and formulated recommendations for dealing with security-relevant research. Osnabrück University is following their recommendation to develop ethical rules at research institutions that go beyond legal regulations and to implement them through a special committee for research ethics.
Research on humans: Ethics Committee
Biomedical or psychological research on humans is the responsibility of the established Ethics Committee of Osnabrück University. Tasks and procedures are regulated in the corresponding regulations. The newly established Commission for Research Ethics (KFE) advises on all other questions of freedom and responsibility in research. In cases of doubt, the Presidential Board decides on responsibility in agreement with the chairpersons of the Ethics Committee and the KFE.
Commission for Research Ethics (KFE)
Since the beginning of 2018, the Commission for Research and the Promotion of Young Researchers at Osnabrück University (FNK) has taken on its expanded role as the Commission for Research Ethics (KFE). The Commission advises academics and academic institutions on issues of research ethics. It also provides support by assessing ethical and legal aspects as well as information and transparency obligations. The latter are based on the guidelines on transparency in research adopted in 2015 by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the Lower Saxony Higher Education Conference (LandesHochschulKonferenz Niedersachsen); here you can find more info on the Lower Saxony guidelines and their implementation. The KFE is constantly working on concepts to incorporate normative and practice-oriented scientific ethical standards at Osnabrück University.
