Shared requirements
All funding bodies, both national and international, require that research
- complies with relevant legislation in the country where the research is conducted;
- is conducted in accordance with good research practice; and
- addresses ethical issues in a thoughtful and responsible manner.
In addition, some funding bodies have more detailed requirements for ethical review and documentation.
Ethics in EU-funded research
In the EU, ethics is regarded as an integrated part of the research process – from application to completion. Ethical compliance is not only regarded as a legal obligation, but also as a necessity for achieving research excellence. This is why a thorough ethical review is carried out right from the application phase, not only to comply with legal regulations but also to improve the quality of research.
Ethical review
To avoid funding of ethically problematic activities, some funding programmes require an ethical review. Details and scope can vary between funding programmes. Most programmes will assess if your project raises ethics issues, and in that case, if these are adequately addressed. Some programmes, such as Horizon Europe, have a more elaborate review procedure containing several steps depending on the complexity of the issues.
Complete an ethics self-assessment
The European Union has a handbook guiding you to completing an ethics self-assessment. It can help you identify and handle common ethical issues in EU projects and can support you when you write your application.
Swedish research funding bodies’ requirements must be met
Swedish public funding bodies also require that your research is conducted in accordance with good research practice, Swedish legal requirements, and in some cases, international legislation. The requirements can usually be found under the funding body’s general terms and conditions.
The Swedish Research Council (VR) has a web page providing an overview of what conducting research ethically means. This is also where you can find the Good research practice publication explaining the most important ethical principles, clarifying division of responsibility, and providing examples of questions you can pose in your research field. It functions as support for ethical reflection throughout the research process.
