Plenary Meeting of the Committee on Ethics in Science – 19 February 2024

During its plenary meeting on 19 February 2024, the Committee on Ethics in Science (CEiS) adopted the opinion of the adjudicating panel concerning a possible breach of ethical principles in science by researchers from one of the institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS).

The Committee revisited a submission raising concerns about a review published in a journal issued by one of the PAS institutes, which addressed a publication authored by the complainant. CEiS examined the explanations provided, including issues related to potential misconduct toward a whistleblower at one of the PAS institutes and the public disclosure of case-related materials.

CEiS members also discussed the following matters:

• A report on a possible copyright infringement by an academic staff member from a university;

• A request for an opinion regarding a potential conflict of interest related to the election of the Chairperson of the Council of Scientific Excellence (RDN);

• A submission concerning possible irregularities in the conduct of a clinical trial allegedly sponsored by a medical university.

Additionally, the Committee discussed the need to draw the Minister of Science’s attention to the issue of evaluating academic achievements in applications for the title of professor and the necessity of amending the relevant regulations.

CEiS also reviewed further materials related to the amendment of the Code of Ethics for Researchers and a report by Dr hab. Roman Sławeta concerning CEiS cases, including those from the year 2019.