Research ethics

Research, in all domains, is an important activity of every human society and represents a major commitment on the part of the various people involved, whether in the public or private sector. Research results constitute the basis for political and technical decisions, both at government level and in the private sector. Consequently, it is essential that the research itself be conducted with integrity, in a responsible manner and in accordance with high ethical standards. The promotion of an ethics culture at EPFL includes the provision of information and support to researchers on research ethics and ethical approval requirements.
Check out the EPFL Course on Research Integrity!
Duration: 2h
Passing grade: 80%
The course covers the fundamentals of research integrity and good laboratory practices, as well as best practices in Switzerland and beyond.
Ethics review of COVID-19 related projects
EPFL researchers are requested to send all projects that fall within the scope of the Human Research Act and that are related to the Coronavirus pandemic to the internal EPFL Covid-19 academic committee for validation (regardless of the funding source). After validation of the project, the protocol will be reviewed by the Research Office/Ethics Affairs before submission to the cantonal ethics committee.
Please also see the Swissethics website for Coronavirus related information and updates, and/or contact the Research Office/Ethics Affairs ([email protected]) for any questions.
Our services

Compliance
Information, resources and guidance on ethics compliance requirements for research projects.

Human Research Ethics Committee
Ethical approval for research projects involving human participants and (personal) data from the EPFL HREC.

Animal Research Ethics Committee
The EPFL Animal Research Ethics Committee (AREC) performs an ethical review of animal experiments conducted abroad by EPFL researchers.

Research integrity
Policies and guidelines regarding research integrity standards for EPFL researchers in all disciplines.

Research misconduct
Information and procedures for the reporting of research misconduct and plagiarism.