Research Ethics

The assessment of the compliance with research ethics is recognized as an integral part of the researcher’s activities in the world. Such assessment is becoming one of the research planning tools that helps researchers to think about the ethical aspects of research and to provide solutions that would assure proper compliance with ethical principles and the quality of research conduct.

When planning research, proper evaluation of possible risks caused by the research to persons, communities, and society is necessary; researchers need to have an ethical approval more and more frequently.

The Research Ethics Commission of Kaunas University of Technology (hereinafter – Commission) assesses applications submitted by the University’s employees or doctoral students to conduct an ethical assessment of the planned research which involves human participants (except research that falls within the scope of bioethics*) or includes the collection and/or processing of personal data.

* When planning the biomedical research, which involves humans or their groups, embryos, organs, cells and genetic material, corpses, medical documents as the objects of research, it is required to apply to the Lithuanian Bioethics Committee or the regional (Vilnius or Kaunas) biomedical research ethics committee.

Application

In order to obtain the Approval of the Commission, the researcher (academic employee or doctoral student) conducting research as an Applicant submits to the Commission an Application for the assessment of the ethics of the planned research by email tyrimu.etika@ktu.lt.

Applications are accepted until the 10th day of each month, except for July and August.

Applications are processed and the decisions are made by the Commission within 15 (fifteen) working days after the deadline for the submission of Applications.

The Research Ethics Self-Assessment Questionnaire must be completed before submitting the Application. The University’s employee or doctoral student makes a decision on the necessity to submit to the Commission an Application for the assessment of the ethics of the planned research, taking into account the recommendation of the completed Research Ethics Self-Assessment Questionnaire regarding the submission of the Application and the specified appendices.

The activities of the Commission are regulated taking into account the Guidelines for Ethical Review approved by the Ombudsperson for Academic Ethics and Procedures of the Republic of Lithuania.