Ethics and scientific integrity

The development of high-quality research goes hand in hand with questioning the ethical aspects of the scientific approaches being implemented. These aspects may concern the ethics of research protocols or the scientific integrity of those involved in the research.

Research ethics are dealt with by a specific ethics committee. Questions of scientific integrity fall within the remit of an advisor appointed by the university.

Research Ethics Committee (Comité d’éthique de la recherche)

The aims and consequences of the discoveries made in the course of research, and the applications that can be derived from them, raise many questions. The university has set up an institutional ethics committee that is responsible for formulating opinions and recommendations to better integrate ethical issues into research projects, and evaluating research protocols involving human subjects.

Its role

The main role of the CER is to provide a concrete assessment of the ethical  compliance of research protocols involving human subjects. At the end of a collective, multidisciplinary process, the CER issues a written opinion on the research protocols. A forum for multi-disciplinary exchange and debate, the CER’s work is also linked to the work carried out as part of the personal protection committees (comités de protection des personnes; CPP) to cover all requests and needs arising from researchers carrying out studies involving human data and/or human beings.

Referrals to the committee may be made by any researcher or teacher-researcher belonging to a public scientific or technological institution.

Research work associated with master’s and doctoral theses may be submitted to the Ethics Committee. However, this work must be set up and written together with – and submitted by – the scientific director, who is responsible for the quality of the project. The scientific director must be in possession of a doctorate (PhD).

Documents submitted to the Ethics Committee can be filed in English or French,especially for international projects involving non-French-speaking colleagues.

The processing time for submissions is two months (on average) between the file first being submitted and receipt of a final opinion. It is therefore essential to plan ahead to ensure certain deadlines are met (responding to calls for projects, inclusion of research papers, etc.).

Step 1: Download and fill inqualificationtool. This document is intended to help you assess whether or not your project falls within the scope of the provisions of the French Public Health Code on Research Involving Human Subjects (Recherches Impliquant la Personne Humaine [RIPH]). RIPH must be submitted to a Protection of Persons Committee (comité de protection des personnes [CPP]). 

In all cases, final qualification will be carried out by the university’s qualification unit on the basis of the documents submitted (see below). If you have any doubts before submission, you can contact ethique-administration[at]univ-lille[point]fr.

Step 2: Write your research protocol. For this purpose, you can use the protocol frame that has been created to help with the writing process. It is intended to serve as a model and you can adapt it to your specific research. Please pay particular attention to spelling, protocol layout and bibliography formats. The protocol can be written in French or English. If your research involves managing personal data, we recommend that you contact the University of Lille’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) at this stage by e-mail at dpo[at]univ-lille[point]fr

Step 3: Download and fill in the summaryform. This form should not exceed two pages and all the information it contains must be included in the protocol. This document is used to refer your case to the Research Ethics Committee (Comité d’éthique pour la recherche) or the Protection of Persons Committee (Comité de protection des personnes [CPP]).

Step 4: Submit the protocol and summary form electronically by sending it to the following e-mail address: ethique-administration[at]univ-lille[point]fr. You can download the committee procedure to understand how it works. A written response from the committee will be e-mailed to the project’s scientific director, together with comments on the protocol. For further information, please contact us by e-mail: ethique-administration@univ-lille.fr

DayPlenary session dateSubmission deadline
Tuesday16/09/202528/08/2025
Tuesday14/10/202518/09/2025
Tuesday18/11/202516/10/2025
Tuesday16/12/202520/11/2025
Tuesday20/01/202618/12/2025
Tuesday17/02/202622/01/2026
Tuesday17/03/202619/02/2026
Tuesday28/04/202619/03/2026
Tuesday19/05/202623/04/2026
Tuesday16/06/202621/05/2026
Tuesday07/07/202618/06/2026

Scientific integrity

Scientific integrity refers to the set of values and rules that guarantee honesty and rigour in research and higher education. It is essential to the cohesion of research groups and to maintaining society’s trust in science.

The scientific integrity advisor

The duties of the University of Lille’s integrity advisor are:

  • to ensure the proper implementation of the institution’s general scientific integrity policy;

  • to ensure that systems and procedures are in place to prevent and deal with breaches of scientific integrity;

  • to report to the head of the institution.

He/she is the first point of contact for all those involved in research who may have a question about scientific integrity, and for all those who believe they have observed a breach that merits action.

Contacts