HoD News - 25 September 2019

Dear colleagues,

As you may have become aware, Aarhus University has recently been exposed to an extremely unfortunate and regrettable case concerning a DCA (Danish Centre for Food and Agriculture) report that fails to comply with the university guidelines for research integrity, freedom of research and the responsible conduct of research. The case has created quite some focus in the media, and the Aarhus University Rector, Brian Bech Nielsen, has reacted forcefully to avoid similar cases in the future. A set of extended guidelines for freedom of research at Aarhus University has thus recently been described in a senior management newsletter.

I will ask you all to study carefully the extended guidelines for freedom of research, as well as the general guidelines, which all researchers at Aarhus University must be aware of.

At the local level, deans, department heads, and centre leaders have been asked to launch initiatives to ensure that all employees are familiar with the university guidelines, rules and policies in this field, and make sure that they are aware of their own responsibilities in this connection. Rector also intends to develop a course on freedom and integrity of research that all researchers at Aarhus University are expected to participate in.

In the faculty management and within our department management, we must discuss how to proceed with initiatives at the department level. As a first step, I will encourage you to be alert as regards any circumstances that you suspect are not in accordance with the guidelines mentioned. Please feel free to contact me whenever you have questions or have some doubt about possible problematic issues in this regard. Also, you have the option to seek confidential advice at the University or to contact the Research Practice Committee if you have concerns about pressure on research freedom.

I agree with rector that research integrity is essential to our credibility as researchers and our activities as a university. 

Niels Haldrup