ETHICS IN RESEARCH
Researchers bear ethical responsibility for their research and are obligated to comply with legal requirements. To fulfill this responsibility, scientists at the University of Rostock can utilize appropriate support and advisory structures. Depending on the ethical issue at hand, please contact one of the committees listed below.
If you have questions regarding good scientific practice, you can contact the ombudspeople at the University of Rostock. Additionally, the animal welfare officer [DE] at the University of Rostock offers expert advice on compliance with the Animal Welfare Act.
ETHICS COMMITTEE
If the ethical issue concerns the protection of human subjects or laboratory animals, or if you need an ethics review decision in connection with an application for third-party funding or a publication, please contact the Ethics Committee of the University Medical Center [DE].
The Ethics Committee of the University Medical Center handles corresponding inquiries from the University of Rostock that do not pertain to the University Medical Center. On the Ethics Committee’s website, under the “Application” section, you will find information regarding the required documentation. A checklist [DE] is available online under “Other Clinical Trials.”
Please complete the checklist and submit it along with your inquiry to ethikmed.uni-rostockde at the Ethics Committee. In addition, the Ethics Committee requests a brief description of your inquiry. There are generally no fees for university affiliates. Exceptions include research projects that are funded by sponsors, for example.
The Ethics Committee issues clearance certificates and ethics approvals in German or English as needed, including retroactively.
COMMISSION ON ETHICS IN SECURITY-RELATED RESEARCH
If the ethical issue concerns the potential non-civilian use of research results by third parties or the justifiability of security-related research, please contact the office of the Senate Commission for Research, Knowledge Transfer, and Early-Career Researchers.
In principle, the University of Rostock has stipulated in its Basic Statutes that teaching, research, and studies at the university shall serve peaceful purposes (“Civil Clause,” §3, para. 5). If there is suspicion of a deviation from this clause, the project will be subject to an internal university review. The Senate Commission for Research, Knowledge Transfer, and Early-Career Scholars [DE] currently serves as the Commission on Ethics in Security-Related Research (KEF). On the part of the Rector’s Office, responsibility lies with the Office of the Vice Rector for Research, Talent Development, and Equal Opportunity.
The Secretariat of the Senate Commission will receive your inquiry and process it in close coordination with the Office of the Vice Rector and the Senate Commission. As part of this process, you will be asked to submit documents related to your matter to the Secretariat.