KI establishes new committee for ethics and good research practice
As of 1 January 2026, Karolinska Institutet will establish the Committee for Ethics and Good Research Practice. The new committee will have a consolidated and wide-ranging mandate to strengthen and further develop KI’s work in human research ethics, animal research ethics, and good research practice. Professor Catarina Almqvist Malmros has been appointed chair of the committee, and three new scientific ombudsmen are responsible for the institutional groups KI North, KI Solna and KI South.
“A key task of the committee is to coordinate, provide support and facilitate dialogue around ethical issues that may arise in research and education at all levels,” says Committee Chair Catarina Almqvist Malmros, professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
The committee replaces KI’s former interim ethics council and will both handle its own cases and work towards prevention by promoting discussion and reflection on ethical issues that concern the entire university.
President Annika Östman Wernerson emphasises the importance of the committee for KI’s continued development.
“Through regular reporting to the president of KI, the committee contributes to learning, continuous improvement, and the long-term development of KI’s work on ethics and good research practice,” she says.
New scientific ombudsmen
Professor Catarina Almqvist Malmros, appointed chair of the committee, is a paediatrician and has extensive experience of leadership and ethical issues as a research group leader, at departmental level, at central KI level, within the committee for research, and through collaboration with other authorities.
At the same time, three new scientific ombudsmen have been appointed with responsibility for the institutional groups KI North, KI Solna, and KI South respectively: Jan Zedenius, Giulia Gaudenzi, and Sari Ponzer. To ensure a smooth transition, the former Scientific Ombudsman Claes Frostell will continue in his role throughout 2026.
A clear mandate with a focus on quality and coordination
The committee has three overarching tasks
- to monitor and identify shortcomings in the area of ethics and good research practice and propose improvements to KI’s management
- to coordinate and develop management and operational support within human and animal research ethics
- to work towards prevention to strengthen good research practice.
In addition, the committee will, among other things, issue statements on research ethics matters, contribute to KI’s systematic quality assurance work, and provide advice on issues related to responsible internationalisation, ethical review of student projects, financial conflicts of interest, and donations.
The committee will also follow up cases from the Swedish National Board for Assessment of Research Misconduct (NPOF) and annually summarise its work in a report to the president of KI.
Bringing together KI’s ethics functions
An important task of the new committee is to coordinate and provide an overall picture of the work on ethical issues and good research practice at KI. This includes compiling and reporting on activities carried out within several bodies and functions, including the council for the investigation of deviations from good research practice, the dcientific ombudsmen, the animal welfare body, and support functions for ethics applications and legal matters.
The committee will also evaluate the roles of these parties and, where necessary, propose adjustments or new mandates.
Broad expertise and a clear mandate
The committee consists of ten members with combined expertise in medical ethics, law, human research ethics review, and animal research ethics. The committee includes two faculty representatives and one scientific ombudsman. Region Stockholm appoints one member from the healthcare sector, and the student organisations appoint one student representative.
The chair is appointed by the president of KI. The term of office is three years, with the possibility of extension, and external experts may be affiliated with the committee as needed.