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.

Code of Conduct for Research Integrity

The Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity is the leading national code of conduct for all Dutch universities. The code is based on five principles: Honesty, scrupulousness, transparency, independence and responsibility.

TU/e Code of Scientific Conduct

TU/e also 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, EngDs). At other points, where there are differences in nuance or formulation, the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity prevails.

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 needs to 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.

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. TU/e's RIPP is available upon request.

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.

Complaints procedure scientific integrity TU/e and confidential advisor

Everyone has the right to complain in cases of (suspected) infringements. The TU/e has an independent complaints committee for scientific integrity. They work accordingly to the complaints procedure scientific integrity TU/e. For staff and students, it is advised to contact the confidential advisor first before filing a complaint. He can give advice and support in preparing for the procedure. 

TU/e has appointed one confidential advisor 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.

Contact

The central point for all TU/e students, staff and guests is the Integrity and Social Safety Desk. You can get in touch with your questions, issues and suggestions about integrity and social safety.

For questions about information on this website about scientific integrity, you can contact Jolanda Habraken.