Scientific integrity

Everyone involved in education and research at TU/e bears personal responsibility for observing and maintaining scientific integrity. At TU/e we require strict compliance with the overall principles of professional scientific conduct in all cases.

Codes of Conduct for Research Integrity

The Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity  endorsed by 6 umbrella organizations, including the VSNU, which entered into force with effect from 1 October 2018, provides details of these principles. Next to that TU/e has its own Code of Scientific Conduct. This TU/e Code of Conduct offers a more concise version, which also takes into account the specific characteristics of scientific activities at a university of technology. The TU/e code therefore includes norms for design-oriented activities, and it restricts the confidentiality of data and research results in the interests of researchers (e.g., PhDs, post-docs, PDEngs). At other points, where there are differences in nuance or formulation, the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity prevails.

TU/e Code of Scientific Conduct

At TU/e you are trained to carry out academic research with integrity. To make clear exactly what is meant by academic integrity, a code has been drawn up identifying five central values, each of which is accompanied by a number of related norms and principles. The central values are: trustworthiness, intellectual honesty, openness, independence and societal responsibility.

Complaints procedure scientific integrity TU/e

One of the ways to verify scientific integrity is the right to complain in cases of (suspected) infringements. The Executive Board has defined the complaints procedure scientific integrity TU/e for the practical handling of this right to complain.

TU/e Ethical Review Board

At TU/e we highly value that research and educational activities are conducted with societal responsibility. This is especially important for activities involving human participants or personally identifiable data. TU/e therefore promotes ethical awareness amongst researchers and students.

At TU/e, a central Ethical Review Board (ERB) is installed by the Executive Board in which all departments are represented. The aim of the ERB is to stimulate TU/e researchers and students to carry out research in accordance with accepted ethical standards and to act in accordance with existing laws and regulations. From 2020 on, all relevant research within TU/e will be reviewed by the ERB before the onset of the study. The ERB strives to incorporate existing laws and regulations on personal data, privacy and research data management into the ethical review procedures, in order to facilitate researchers as efficiently as possible. Research which is subjected to the Law on Medical Scientific Research involving Human Beings (WMO) or the Medical Devices Act (WMH) should be reviewed by an accredited Medical Research Ethics Committee (MREC, outside the TU/e). TU/e offers support during the ethical reviewing procedures.

More information can be found on the TU/e intranet (for internal use only).

You can contact the ERB by emailing ERB secretary dr. Jolanda Habraken via ethics[at]tue.nl.

Confidential advisor and complaints committee

TU/e has appointed two confidential advisors to support anyone faced with a possible infringement of integrity in seeking a solution and submitting a formal complaint.

The confidential advisor is:
Prof. dr. ir. S.C. (Sem) Borst
Phone.: (040-247) 5105
E-mail: s.c.borst@tue.nl

The secretary of the complaints committee is:
Dr. J.M. Habraken
Telefoon: 040 247 6259
E-mail: J.M.Habraken@tue.nl

The TU/e also offers the possibility to report anonymously through the TU/e SpeakUp Line. More information can be found on the intranet.

Research Integrity Promotion Plan

The Executive board of TU/e supports the European Commission actively in promoting Research Integrity in Horizon Europe. In the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, fundamental principles of Research Integrity are described such as: reliability, honesty, respect, and accountability. To facilitate and ensure that researchers can translate these principles into their own responsible research practices, the European Commission asks all Research Performing Organizations (RPOs) to provide a Research Integrity Promotion Plan (RIPP). This plan covers nine topics related to Research Integrity and describes how the organization (through appropriate procedures, policies and structures) facilitates researchers in all these topics.

Openness in Animal Experiments

The Code of Conduct on Openness in Animal Experiments has been drawn up to put into practice the broadly supported view in society that openness on scientific research with animals is desirable and necessary.

Animal experiments at TU/e fall under the responsibility of the Animal Experiments Center (‘Centrale Proefdiervoorziening’) of Maastricht University. For more information, including the Annual Report on Animal Experiments, please see the website of the Animal Experiments Committee (‘Dier Experimenten Commissie’) of Maastricht University.