Ethics and integrity

Research ethics and integrity

ULB has adopted a code of ethics and integrity for research, valorisation, and spin-off creation, stating: "Scientific fraud endangers trust in science and, consequently, scientific literature. (...) The university must guarantee to society the integrity of its researchers and provide them with respectful and honest support conducive to confident and harmonious development." (Excerpt from the guidelines on integrity in scientific research, FNRS, November 2007)

This code includes two parts:

• Respect for scientific integrity principles, especially through defining and implementing procedures to handle breaches and suspicions of these principles;

• Compliance with guidelines on valorising research results generated at ULB and on creating spin-off companies.

ULB has a Research Ethics and Integrity Commission responsible for implementing the Code's provisions, ensuring compliance, and providing opinions.

Ethics committees

Research projects require ethical considerations before starting, including human consent, protection of vulnerable individuals, animal welfare, and personal data protection.

ULB has several ethics committees—both faculty-level and central—that provide opinions and whose approval is required before starting such research projects.

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