Maximising the potential of Ethics Assessment of Research & Innovation: a call to Research Funding Organisations

This policy brief focuses on Research Funding Organisations (RFOs).

Key recommendations relevant to RFOs:

  • RFOs should adopt the SATORI framework for ethics assessment in R&I activity.
  • RFOs should generate/promote general awareness of ethics and ethical issues among researchers and innovators.
  • Improve the capabilities of RFOs to perform ethics assessment.
  • Enable regular discussion and exchange of information among RFOs at the national and international levels on the good practices in ethics assessment of R&I.
  • RFOs could insist on the requirement that those who receive funding should adhere to a specified code of ethics.
  • Standardise the review and audit procedures of SATORI’s ethics assessment and ethical impact assessment methodologies as much as possible to decrease the administrative burden on RFOs.
  • Set adequate criteria and procedures for in-house ethics review and monitoring of proposals and projects.
  • Train ethics assessors in applying the SATORI framework and principles.

Related Files

  • SATORI policy brief _2017_RFOs 21-07-2017

    This policy brief focuses on Research Funding Organisations (RFOs). RFOs, especially the European Commission, through their various funding programmes have a major leverage effect on how ethics is addressed in research and innovation. Ethics assessment at the European Union and Member States level has existed for decades in the field of clinical trials on drugs and medical devices. However, this has not been the case in other fields of research and innovation (R&I).

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