Ethics Advisor of the University of Münster
Research autonomy is a constitutionally protected right and a prerequisite for conducting successful basic and applied research. Nevertheless, ethical limits do exist when it comes to research methods, institutional forms of research and the utilisation of research findings. Consequently, ethics votes are increasingly required for publications in scientific journals and project applications for external funding. In addition, higher education institutions have focused more strongly on the risks involved in security-relevant research in recent years.
Research ethics reflects the research process in all its stages and is based on the normative principles of the University and the “civil clause”.
Tasks of the Ethics Advisor
The Ethics Advisor counsels researchers, committees and the administration on ethical issues in research and, if necessary, on security issues (“dual use”). She supports the University’s departments in establishing new ethics committees, fields complaints, advises the Rectorate on ethical issues and supports structural processes that are relevant to research ethics. The Ethics Advisor cooperates with the faculty-level ethics committees and other key representatives, such as the Data Protection Officer and the legal advisors in the Research Affairs department. Moreover, the Ethics Advisor can forward enquiries to these or other departments of the University if the respective matter lies within the scope of their special responsibility.
Contact
Faculty-level ethics committees
In order to strengthen self-regulation in research, examine potential ethical risks and pitfalls within research projects and, above all, support academics, the following faculties at the University of Münster have set up their own ethics committees.