In the summer of 2026, DTU will establish a central research ethics committee—the Research Ethics Committee (DTU REC). The committee will act as an advisory board across DTU and is part of an effort to strengthen responsible research practices across the university. Provost Christine Nellemann is leading the establishment of the advisory board, which is a pilot project running over the next eighteen months:
"As one of Europe's leading technical universities, we must demonstrate scientific leadership and ensure that our research and technology development are responsible, credible and transparent—this is central to DTU's strategy," she says.
The pilot project will provide DTU with experience and a basis for developing a comprehensive and strengthened approach to research ethics, in which ethical considerations are incorporated early in the research process and in teaching and dissemination.
Enhancing the quality and impact of research
As a rule, all health science trials involving humans or human biological material, health data science studies based on sensitive bioinformatic data, as well as clinical trials of medicinal products and the testing of medical devices, must be notified to and approved by the Danish Research Ethics Committee System. This is a legal requirement.
However, a large proportion of DTU's research falls outside this legal requirement. Nevertheless, researchers are increasingly being expected to account for how ethical aspects are handled in their studies by funding bodies, collaborators, and journals.
DTU REC offers researchers the opportunity to engage in dialogue and receive assistance in identifying and addressing research ethics issues from the outset of a study. This may, for example, involve considerations regarding participant information and consent, risks and burdens associated with participation, confidentiality and privacy, as well as transparency regarding the study's purpose and conduct.
"We need to consider the research ethics aspects—particularly when we are dealing with people and their data in research studies. This could, for example, be when we involve people in non-clinical studies, such as questionnaire or interview surveys or observational studies," explains Christine Nellemann.
A service for researchers
DTU REC is an internal, voluntary service for DTU researchers. The advisory board's assessments are based on recognised principles and standards of research ethics in studies involving human subjects, but it cannot and should not issue approvals. Instead, it is intended to help researchers address research ethics issues before the research study begins. DTU REC also provides written documentation of the assessment.
"Even if a researcher requests a research ethics assessment from DTU REC, the responsibility for ensuring that the research is planned and conducted in an ethically sound manner and in accordance with the law still lies with the responsible researcher. The purpose of DTU REC is to support researchers in addressing research ethics issues—not to oversee or regulate research activities. Submitting a study to the REC for assessment is entirely voluntary," says Christine Nellemann, continuing:
"It can be difficult to identify the research ethics issues raised by a study and whether the study design should be adjusted to protect participants better and responsibly address research ethics considerations. Ultimately, these considerations will help to strengthen the quality and impact of the research. With DTU REC, we want to offer our researchers professional feedback and advisory assessments where we know there is a need, and I am really pleased that we will soon be able to offer this opportunity."
