The CSIC Ethics Committee

Institutional body with specific competencies in issues related to scientific research integrity and ethics.

Description

The CSIC Ethics Committee is a collegiate support body of the Presidency and the Governing Board, with an advisory and permanent role.

As of the 16th September 2013, the CSIC Ethics Committee was formally recognized as an authorised body to assess projects that involve animal testing.

Functions

The CSIC Ethics Committee undertakes the functions entrusted to it pursuant to Article 17 of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), i.e., ponder on issues, draw up reports and make recommendations on ethical and deontological principles related to research activity. Likewise, in undertaking its role in evaluating the ethical aspects of research carried out at the CSIC, the Ethics Committee performs the vital task of monitoring and controlling the guarantees demanded by the exercise of scientific research.

Composition

The CSIC Ethics Committee is a heterogeneous and interdisciplinary team. Members, come from diverse backgrounds, some of them are independent of the CSIC, representing a wide range of academic backgrounds (medicine, philosophy, biology, chemistry, physics, natural resources…).

PRESIDENT

Víctor Ramón Velasco Rodríguez

Research Professor

Instituto de Ciencias Materiales de Madrid (ICMM-CSIC)

VICE-PRESIDENT

Carme Torras Genís

Research Professor

Instituto de Robótica e Informática Industrial (IRII-CSIC)

SPOKESPERSONS

Antonio Almagro Gorbea

Research Professor CSIC

Escuela de Estudios Árabes (EEA-CSIC)

Mª. José Camarasa Rius

Research Professor CSIC

Instituto de Química Médica (IQM)

José Javier Lucas Lozano

Research Professor CSIC

Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM)

Carmen Ascaso Ciria

Research Profesor

Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC)

José Vicente García Ramos

Research Professor

Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC)

Ananda Pascual Ascaso

Tenured Scientist

Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados

(IMEDEA-CSIC)

Francisco José Ausín Díez

Tenured Scientist.

Instituto de Filosofía (IFS)

Carmen Ayuso García

Director
Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Subdirectora de Investigación
Fundación Jiménez Díaz (FJD)

Rodolfo Gutiérrez Palacios

Full University Professor

Universidad de Oviedo (UNIOVI)

Yolanda Sanz Herranz

Research Profesor

Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC)

SECRETARY

Mª Luisa Salas García

Higher Technical Graduate, Expert in Public Research Organisms

Director of the CSIC Research Ethics Department

Structure - Bioethics Subcommittee and Conflicts Subcommittee

The CSIC Ethics Committee comprises two subcommittees to undertake the specific functions encompassed within its mission: the Bioethics Subcommittee and the Conflicts Subcommittee.

The Bioethics Subcommittee reviews the suitability of the practises and procedures employed in the undertaking of research activity within the field of the Life Sciences.

The Conflicts Subcommittee deals with the conflicts reported by CSIC staff in the course of scientific activity, as well as non-compliance with good practises.

The CSIC Ethics Committee has established a Procedure to address conflicts.

Research Ethics Department

The Research Ethics Department, ascribed to the CSIC Presidency, and created by Resolution on the 9th April 2015 by said Presidency, is the technical and legal support body of the CSIC Ethics Committee.

The volume of management tasks related to ethical evaluation has steadily increased leading to the creation of a new specialised organizational structure. This is due to growing regulatory demands in the field of ethics, bioethics and biosecurity as well as similar requirements imposed by different entities publishing calls to fund R&D projects. In addition to this, as a collegiate body, the Ethics Committee is also responsible for the assessment of projects that involve animal testing.

In addition to the aforementioned primary supportive function of the CSIC Ethics Committee, the Department of Research Ethics contributes to the consolidation of ethics as a fundamental element of institutional culture. This role is achieved through its participation in the design, implementation, dissemination and application of tools and protocols aimed at strengthening integrity and good practices at the Institution.