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Research Integrity

As a high-performing research institution, we uphold the highest standards of research integrity within the framework of our policies and procedures.

The University Open Research and Research Integrity Committee (UORRIC)

The University Research & Innovation Committee (UR&IC) – which has overall responsibility for research integrity and open research at NTU – has delegated powers to the University Open Research and Research Integrity Committee (UORRIC) to provide strategic oversight and leadership of open research and research integrity, and the ecosystem which supports them. You can find out more about UORRIC’s Terms of Reference and Committee membership from the drop-down sections below.

  1. To oversee and support the development, review and evaluation of robust open research and research integrity strategies, policies, procedures and systems.
  2. To consider the implications for NTU of any changes in the open research and research integrity policy and regulatory landscape.
  3. To identify and direct open research and research integrity training resources and provision.
  4. To receive and consider annual reports from Research Ethics Committees (RECs) reporting to UORRIC.
  5. To promote good practice and identify opportunities to enhance a research culture underpinned by high standards of and engagement with open research and research integrity.
  6. To provide advice to relevant groups and individuals on matters of open research and research integrity.
  7. To act as a point of arbitration on matters arising in RECs.
  8. To oversee an annual process of audit of research projects approved by RECs reporting to UORRIC.
  9. To produce the Annual Statement on Research Integrity for consideration and ratification by UR&IC.

  • Head of Research Governance and Policy (Chair)
  • Research Data Management Officer (Deputy Chair)
  • Chairs of NTU Research Ethics Committees reporting directly to UORRIC
  • Doctoral School Programmes Manager
  • Research and Business Manager, John van Geest Cancer Research Centre and HTA Representative
  • Researcher Development Consultant
  • Research Project and Data Officer (Secretariat)

Research conduct

All individuals involved in research in the name of University are expected to be aware of and uphold the standards required of them when conducting research. Allegations of unacceptable behaviour in the conduct of research by staff or students will be managed in a consistent, transparent, and equitable manner within the framework of our policies and procedures.

  • For staff undertaking research at, or in the name of, the University any allegations of research misconduct are dealt with through the University’s Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.
  • For research students undertaking research in the name of University, allegations of misconduct are dealt with through the University’s Academic Standards and Quality Handbook (Section 17D: University Procedure for Investigating Alleged Research Misconduct).
  • For taught students at the University, allegations relating to research misconduct are dealt through the University’s Academic Standards and Quality Handbook (Section 17C: Academic Irregularities).

Annual Statement on Research Integrity

In line with the Concordat to support research integrity, a short statement on research integrity and misconduct is produced annually and presented to the University’s Academic Board and Board of Governors. The annual statement for 2021/2022 is published below, along with statements from previous years:

Code of Practice

Our Code of Practice for Research is relevant to all individuals involved in research in the name of the University irrespective of the discipline or field of research. The document outlines the principles of practice and conduct by which the University expects research to be carried out in the name of the University.

Read the Code of Practice for Research

Research integrity training resources

A range of free, online training resources relating to all aspects of research integrity – including ethics, data management, library skills, academic writing, and research methods – are available to all staff and students who are conducting research in the name of the University.

If you're a researcher at NTU, head to MyHub to access these resources.

UK Research Integrity Office subscription

NTU has been a subscriber to the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) since 2012. The UKRIO is an independent advisory body, offering support to the public, researchers, and organisations to further good practice in research. As a registered charity it was created in response to longstanding and growing concerns about the reliability of research. UKRIO is the UK’s most experienced research integrity organisation. Since 2006, the UKRIO provided independent and expert support across all disciplines of research: from the arts and humanities to the life sciences. It works to enhance good research practice, address mistakes, questionable practices and fraud, and improve the culture and systems of UK research.

Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment

In 2023, Nottingham Trent University joined the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment, a global grouping of organisations who perform, fund, assess or support research. Through the Coalition’s Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, member organisations work together to achieve more equitable research assessment based on agreed principles. An institutional action plan has been created to ensure the University is fully aligned with the Agreement’s ten core commitments.

UK Reproducibility Network

Nottingham Trent University is a member of the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN), a national peer-led consortium working to ensure that the UK keeps its place as a centre for world-leading research. It does so by seeking to ‘understand the factors that contribute to poor research reproducibility and replicability, and develop approaches to counter these, in order to improve the trustworthiness and quality of research.’   NTU supports UKRN’s objectives by facilitating the delivery of its training, workshop and policy development activities and advocating for the adoption of best practice across the University.  NTU’s institutional lead for engagement with UKRN is Dr Rebekah Smith McGloin, Director of Research Culture and Environment.

Gender Equality Plan

NTU is dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive space for all who work and study with us. We have developed a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) to reflect how our policies and practice align with the EU gender equality requirements.

Research involving animals

At NTU, we are committed to an open and ongoing dialogue with the public about why animals are used in our research. Our culture of care ensures all animals are treated with compassion and respect to help us advance scientific findings into improvements in human health. Find out more about the use of animals in research at NTU, and how we ensure animal welfare within our research impact.

Research ethics

Researcher in a laboratory

NTU is committed to protecting the rights, dignity, safety, and the privacy of research subjects; the wellbeing of animals; the environment; minimising the risks to the health and safety of researchers, as well as maintaining academic freedom. To ensure this commitment is realised, NTU operates a Research Ethics Policy and Procedure, which is applicable to all those conducting research within or on behalf of the University. This requires an ethical review of all research projects involving primary research with human beings or their data, irrespective of funding source.

Research ethics exist to promote high standards of behaviour in the conduct of research involving humans and animals through an awareness of relevant values, principles and rules. NTU’s research ethics seek to protect the interest of participants whilst facilitating research with legitimate social value, and to ensure the burdens and benefits of the research are fairly distributed.

Research ethics committees

Several Research Ethics Committees (RECs) exist at NTU to review and provide an ethics opinion on prospective research projects. Where a project requires review by an REC, no data collection should commence until a favourable opinion has been provided. However, even when a favourable ethics opinion has been received, researchers are encouraged to ensure other necessary governance agreements are in place before data collection begins. Failure to do so may constitute a breach of integrity.

The following RECs are currently in operation at NTU:

This committee accepts applications from staff and doctoral candidates based in Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Law School, and the School of Social Sciences including the Nottingham Institute of Education.

Chair: Dr Imad El-Anis (imad.el-anis@ntu.ac.uk)

Administrator: Annabel Cali (annabel.cali@ntu.ac.uk)

This committee accepts applications from staff and doctoral candidates based in the Schools of Art and Design, Arts and Humanities, and Architecture, Design and the Built Environment.

Chair: Amy Twigger Holroyd (amy-twigger.holroyd@ntu.ac.uk)

Administrator: Annabel Cali (annabel.cali@ntu.ac.uk)

This committee accepts applications from staff, doctoral candidates, postgraduate taught and undergraduate students based in the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences.

Chair: Antonio Uzal (antonio.uzal@ntu.ac.uk)

Administrator: Nicholas Midgley (nicholas.midgley@ntu.ac.uk)

This committee accepts applications from staff, doctoral candidates, postgraduate taught and undergraduate students from across the University who are undertaking research requiring invasive sample collection procedures.

Chair: Professor Craig Sale (craig.sale@ntu.ac.uk)

Administrator: Dianne Levey (dianne.levey@ntu.ac.uk)

This committee accepts applications from staff, doctoral candidates, postgraduate taught and undergraduate students from the School of Science and Technology who are undertaking research which does not require invasive sample collection procedures. Applications from researchers in other Schools may, at the request of other REC chairs, be referred to the committee for review.

Chair: Dr Ruth James (ruth.james@ntu.ac.uk)

Administrator: Georgina Green-Stone (sst.ethics@ntu.ac.uk)

Contact us

Enquiries relating to research integrity, including those of confidential nature, should be addressed to Anton Muszanskyj (Research Governance & Policy Manager).