Responsible Research and Innovation

The Ombudsperson of CRAG is a designated neutral scientist who is not part of the executive management of the Center. The Ombudsperson acts to serve CRAG constituencies, in particular research personnel and with respect to the matters of the Guide on Research Integrity and Good Scientific practices. The function of the Ombudsperson is therefore to address issues related to the Code of Good Scientific Practices, in particular those that may benefit from mediation. The institutional Ombudsperson can provide options with concerns related to the Code of conduct; provide coaching, shuttle diplomacy, generic solutions, and mediation for conflicts; and make recommendations for changes to CRAG policies or procedures. Communications with the Ombudsperson are confidential. The CRAG ombudsperson can be reached at: ombuds@cragenomica.es

The Ombudsperson functions do not include acting on disciplinary actions related to misconduct cases or on serious offences to the Code of Good Scientific Practices. Those cases, should they occur, are to be handled through an investigation by an appropriate independent committee, in particular the Committee for the Integrity of Research in Catalonia (CIR-CAT). The CIR-CAT was created within the governmental framework of the Program for the Integrity of Research in Catalonia, and is responsible for its development. The functions of CIR-CAT are the promotion of good scientific practices and specific training in the field of these practices, the promotion of measures aimed at improving the quality of research, and advice in relation to conflicts in the integrity of research affecting exclusively the field of good scientific practice.