CBS initiates a service check after agricultural report

On the basis of the agricultural report case, CBS' management is now initiating a service check of the procedures for externally funded research. The aim is to assess the need for an upgrade of guidance provided to researchers and ensure a continued safe collaboration between universities and the business community. Dean of Research Peter Møllgaard explains:

”We have more than 650 highly qualified researchers, who deliver new high-level knowledge to society every day in collaboration with universities, companies and organisations. We have to create a safe framework to continue these collaborations. With this initiative, CBS wishes to place a focus on providing researchers with the necessary legal and research ethical guidance and support in time to make the right choices during the research process. In addition, CBS' management also wants to establish a dialogue with the research environments about good research practice," says Peter Møllgaard.

The initiative is comprised by three elements:

• Mapping of challenges and dilemmas that a researcher may experience in externally funded projects.
• CBS' two standard agreements for externally funded research and their application will be reviewed to assess a potential need for an upgrade.
• Dilemmas in terms of communicating externally funded research will be unveiled. A design guide for publications will be drafted to include advice on how and when research should be shared with the media.

Dean of Research Peter Møllgaard underlines that CBS has freedom of research with responsibility. The initiative must bring forward best practice and show the way for researchers, making it easier for them to excel in good research practice.

The Research Practice Committee at CBS has just finalised a complaint lodged against the agricultural report. The committee is under secrecy in sensitive personal cases, and CBS is not entitled to inform the public about the committee's overall conclusions without consent. CBS has noted, however, that the committee has found no reason to bring this case before the Danish Committees on Scientific Dishonesty (DCSD), but the management is taking this case very seriously, says Dean of Research Peter Møllgaard.

”At CBS, we have never seen a case like this. It is very serious and completely unique that a report is considered and investigated by the Research Practice Committee. To us, this is a very important occasion to ask ourselves what we can learn from this case. A service check must unveil whether it is necessary to revise the guidelines or upgrade the guidance and support that are provided to researchers in case they are faced with a dilemma," he says and adds:

”We are satisfied that the procedures for the assessment of research practices are working, but as a university we are aware of how this case affects our reputation. I have noted that in December, the steering committee cannot reach a unanimous approval of the quality of the final report. On this basis Head of Department Carsten Ørts Hansen decided that the report cannot be released by CBS. Now we will take an internal look at the consequences of this case and we will have to establish what can be done for our research environments," says Peter Møllgaard.


Correction of error in text 06.04.17 - following part of quote is updated: "...the project steering committee found that there were quality issues with the final report and decided that it could not be released by CBS..."


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