The university’s code to ensure all research across our campuses in the UK, China and Malaysia is carried out to the highest standards of integrity, rigour and excellence has been reviewed and updated.

All research staff and students are required to familiarise themselves with the revised Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics and research leaders and supervisors are requested to bring it to the attention of their teams and students.

The code and further resources are available on our Ethics and Integrity pages.

Version 8 of the code was published following an annual review by University Research Integrity and Research Ethics Committee (URIEC).

URIEC Chair Professor Penny Gowland said: “We have updated the code in light of feedback from colleagues, changes in legislation and regulations, and requirements of funding bodies. We have reformatted the code in a way which I hope makes it more accessible and user-friendly. If you are a member of staff or students involved in research in any way, then please make sure that you are familiar with the new summary, which signposts additional sources of guidance and support, including within the main code.”

The code has been updated as part of the university’s commitment to The Concordat to Support Research Integrity, which assures government, business, international partners and the public that they can continue to have confidence in UK research and its world-leading researchers.

The revised code includes:

• A new summary. It is recommended that research staff and students bookmark this page to be aware of situations in which they may need to seek further information, advice or guidance from the full code
• Links to a new Trusted Research Toolkit for researchers undertaking international collaborations
• A new section on access to Biological Material and Benefit Sharing to address the Nagoya Protocol
• Open Access Publishing and Export Controls updates

Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Pro-Vice Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange, said: “I am grateful to all those who contributed to the revision of this code which underpins our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, rigour and excellence in all aspects of our research.

“The code is a fundamental component of the research environment, which is characterised by our culture of research integrity, good research practice, and the development and training of researchers at all stages of their careers. The code outlines the duty of researchers including their responsibilities towards all participants of research including humans, animals, the environment and cultural materials, and it provides a basis for the transparent and appropriate communication and dissemination of research findings.”

As part of the annual reviews conduct by the University Research Integrity and Research Ethics Committee, the Code of Practice on Handling Allegations of Research Misconduct  has also been updated.

For any queries please contact the Head of Research Integrity Ali.alshukry@nottingham.ac.uk