Scientific Research Ethics

The Scientific Research Ethics Committee of the Research Council of Lithuania (hereinafter – the Committee) is a permanent committee of the Research Council of Lithuania (hereinafter – RCL). The procedures of the Committee are regulated by its Rules of Procedure¹, and it performs the following functions:

1. examines legislative initiatives, draft legal acts, and other documents related to scientific research ethics and provides relevant comments and proposals to the RCL Chair;
2. prepares proposals for the RCL Chair regarding provisions of RCL legal acts and other documents aimed at ensuring compliance with the principles of scientific research ethics in the activities of the RCL;
3. advises the RCL Chair on matters related to scientific research ethics;
4. reviews notifications concerning potential violations of the general principles of compliance with research ethics outlined in paragraph 22 of the Guidelines for the Evaluation of Compliance with Research Ethics², particularly regarding:

4.1. applications and/or reports for RCL competitive funding projects;
4.2. materials related to the annual and/or comparative evaluation of research and higher education institutions;
4.3. other activities of the RCL.

5. Considers other issues related to scientific research ethics and provides recommendations to the RCL Chair.

The Committee is composed of nine members of impeccable reputation, selected in accordance with the conflict-of-interest avoidance scheme provided in Annex 2 of the Description of Avoidance of Potential Conflicts of Interest in the Research Council of Lithuania³. Individuals subject to the restrictions set out in Chapter VI of the General Rules of the Research Council of Lithuania for the Competitive Funding of Research and Dissemination Projects⁴ – such as those who have committed academic ethics violations or those responsible for a terminated or unimplemented project – cannot be appointed as members of the Committee or serve in this capacity.

The composition of the Committee is approved by the RCL Chair, who also appoints the Committee Chair and Deputy Chair. Three members of the Committee are nominated by the Expert Committee of Natural and Technical Sciences (hereinafter – NTS Committee), one of whom must be a member of the NTS Committee exempt from the established requirements; three members are nominated by the Expert Committee of Humanities and Social Sciences (hereinafter – HSS Committee), one of whom must be a member of the HSS Committee exempt from the established requirements; and three members are nominated by the Expert Committee of Science and Higher Education Policy (hereinafter – SHEP Committee), one of whom must be a member of the SHEP Committee exempt from the established requirements. The term of office for a Committee member is three years, and a member may serve no more than two consecutive terms.