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Research ethics

Research interests may conflict with compliance, with generally accepted standards and values. Questions about the responsibility and accountability of research and its possible effects on society or individuals are central. Some funders therefore require the consent of an ethics committee when ethically relevant research questions are at stake. 

Ethical aspects are particularly relevant in certain fields of research, e.g. 

  • Research involving humans (e.g. research in the fields of medicine, biology and psychology)
  • Research involving Embryonic Stem Cells
  • Research projects involving genetic resources
  • Particularly risky Research (Dual Use Research of Concern, etc.
  • Research projects involving minors, vulnerable persons, or persons lacking the capacity to consent
  • Research involving animals

There are 3 ethics committees which are responsible for the University of Basel to examine research projects for their ethical justifiability. The committees have different priorities, see below. The ethics committees work together in the sense that they, if they are not responsible, pass on a project to the relevant committee.

In addition, specific types of research projects fall under the jurisdiction of other authorities or offices:

  • Research projects involving animals fall within the jurisdiction of the cantonal veterinary authority of Basel-Stadt according to the Animal Welfare Act (AniWA). Please consult the information on the Intranet and contact the Animal Welfare Office.
  • Research projects involving genetic resources fall within the jurisdiction of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) according to the Nagoya Protocol. Please contact the Research Compliance Office.
  • Research projects involving genetically modified organisms (GMOs) fall within the jurisdiction of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) according to the Containment Ordinance (ContainO), except for projects that fall under the Regulations on Particularly High-Risk Research. Please contact the Chief Safety Officer.
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Ethics Committees

The Research Ethics Committee (KFE) is a permanent committee of the Senate with the task of ensuring that the principles of research ethics are implemented at the University of Basel. The KFE assesses the ethical acceptability of research projects carried out at the University of Basel that fall within its area of responsibility (see KFE Regulations § 3).

Research projects that meet at least one of the criteria listed below must be submitted to and approved by the KFE:

  • Research projects involving minors, vulnerable persons, or persons lacking the capacity to consent;
  • Research projects in which sensitive personal data are processed;
  • Research projects in contexts with high risks for researchers, participants, or third parties, for example, projects in conflict zones or authoritarian or fragile contexts;
  • Research projects involving high risks to the environment;
  • Research projects that fall under the Regulations on Particularly Risky Research

The KFE doesn’t evaluate projects that are under review by an ethics committee at another university or research institution or that have already been accepted with conditions or rejected. 

To find out if your research project needs an approval by the KFE, you can use the KFE's Ethics Self-Assessment Questionnaire.

The Ethics Committee of the Faculty Psychology (EKFP) is a standing committee that reviews and assesses research projects proposed in the field of psychological research at the Faculty of Psychology for ethical compliance, with the aim of ensuring both the protection of study participants and proportionality between the risks and benefits of the research investigation.

Until July 31, 2026, researchers at the Faculty of Psychology will continue to submit their projects to the EKFP. From August 1, 2026, all applications will be submitted to the Research Ethics Committee (KFE) (for transitional provisions, see KFE Regulations § 10).

The Ethics Committee Northwestern and Central Switzerland (EKNZ) is responsible for assessing research projects conducted at the University of Basel for their compatibility with applicable national and international guidelines for medical research involving human subjects (in particular the Human Research Act, HRA).

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