Research integrity

The FWO expects the (co-)supervisor of an FWO research project or an FWO research fellowship to meet a number of specific requirements. By accepting such a supervisor role, the (co-)supervisor in each case undertakes to meet the requirements, responsibilities and tasks set out below.

The (co-)supervisor (both as supervisor of a PhD candidate or postdoctoral researcher and of the principal investigator or co-supervisor of an FWO research project):

1. Research competences

   • is actively engaged in scientific research at a high academic level;

   • operates within a research domain that is sufficiently compatible with that of the PhD candidate, postdoctoral researcher, or other researchers associated with the FWO research project;

   • is able to offer the necessary expertise, infrastructure and guidance;

2. Design, planning and preconditions

   • is co-responsible for the design and planning of the research conducted by the researchers associated with the FWO research project in relation to their research competences;

   • helps ensure adequate integration into the research unit where the PhD candidate, the postdoctoral researcher or other researchers associated with the FWO research project are active; where appropriate, this responsibility is shared with other projects managers within the unit;

   • creates the scientific, technical, and psychosocial preconditions that are indispensable for the proper functioning of the PhD candidate, the postdoctoral researcher or other researchers associated with this FWO research project;

3. Consultation, evaluation and corrective action

   • supervises the research of the PhD candidate, postdoctoral researcher, or researchers affiliated with the FWO research project and provides sufficient opportunities for contact moments to thoroughly discuss the relevant aspects; the intensity of the supervision provided to other researchers associated with this FWO research project is commensurate with their contribution to that project;

   • evaluates the performance of the researchers for whom they are responsible and provides timely guidance and corrective action when necessary;

4. Publications

   • ensures that the PhD candidate publishes the research results when they are ready for publication, but also prevents the publication of results that are not yet suitable for publication or that are presented in a manner that does not comply with the generally accepted standards of scientific research practice; this also applies to postdoctoral researchers, in relation to their more advanced research competences, and to other researchers associated with the FWO research project as their contribution to the project justifies this;

   • adequately informs the researchers under their responsibility of the responsibility they bear for the contributions they have made to a publication, and also assumes the responsibilities associated with (co-)authorship;

   • ensures that the PhD candidate and the postdoctoral researcher are recognised as (co-)authors of publications that are (wholly or partly) based on their research and to which they have made a writing contribution, and that, in publications with multiple authors, they are assigned a position in the author list that reflects their contribution to the publication; where appropriate, this also applies to other researchers associated with the FWO research project;

   • ensures that, where the PhD candidate or postdoctoral researcher has made the principal contribution to the research and the resulting publication, they are given the opportunity to be listed as first author or main author;

5. Data management

   • ensures that data relating to the research conducted under their supervision are stored securely and durably, taking into account the specific characteristics of the discipline and the nature of the research;

6. Training and professional experience

   • oversees the PhD training programme and encourages the use of other opportunities for training and professional experience that may promote the PhD research or the future career of the PhD candidate or postdoctoral researcher;

   • introduces the PhD candidate or postdoctoral researcher to relevant research networks and encourages active participation in those networks;

   • maximises the recognition and utilisation of the expertise that the PhD candidate or postdoctoral researcher brings to the research group;

7. Research independence

   • provides a level of autonomy that is appropriate to the research competences of the PhD candidate or postdoctoral researcher and that allows sufficient room for the development of scientific independence;

8. Research integrity

   • ensures that the PhD candidate, the postdoctoral researchers and other researchers associated with this FWO research project adhere to generally accepted standards of research integrity;

   • familiarises themselves with the regulations and guidelines on research integrity of both their own research institution and the FWO;

   • complies with these standards themselves and creates an environment in which these standards guide the conduct of all parties involved.

1. Rights

• can count on the guidance and expertise of the supervisor and also on his/her evaluation and corrective action, but assumes himself/herself a more significant role in his/her research as it proceeds and his own research capacity increases;
• is entitled to the material preconditions for conducting his/her research, for which the supervisor is responsible;
• is assisted by the supervisor with the integration into the research unit, but also makes its own contribution in this respect to the best of his/her abilities; 

2. Duties

• takes sufficient initiative and makes sufficient efforts to ensure the successful progress of the PhD research;
• reports problems or challenges as quickly as possible to the supervisor and/or other parties involved for the purpose of solving them as efficiently as possible;
• complies with the generally accepted standards of research integrity;
• ensures that his/her research data are stored securely and durably, taking into account the specific characteristics of the discipline and the nature of the research;
• helps ensure, with the support from his supervisor, that research results are published when they are ready, and is entitled to recognition as (co-)author according to common practice within the discipline; 
• puts his/her PhD training into practice in a way that is suitable for his/her research and his/her broader development as an advanced researcher;
• seizes the opportunities offered by the supervisor and others to take part in suitable research networks and, where possible and appropriate, assists in developing such networks.

1. Rights

• can count on the guidance of the supervisor (for research projects) or the head of the research unit (for individual fellowships), but takes on an important role himself/herself that is commensurate with his/her advanced research capacity and the degree of autonomy, which will be greater for individual fellowships than for projects;
• is entitled to the material preconditions for conducting his/her research, for which the supervisor is responsible;
• is assisted by the supervisor and/or the head of the research unit with the integration into the research unit, but makes his/her own contribution in this respect to the best of his/her abilities;

2. Duties

• takes sufficient initiative and makes sufficient efforts to ensure the successful progress of the postdoctoral research;
• reports problems or challenges as quickly as possible to the supervisor, the head of the research unit and/or other parties involved for the purpose of solving them as efficiently as possible;
• complies with the generally accepted standards of research integrity;
• ensures that his/her research data are stored securely and durably, taking into account the specific characteristics of the discipline and the nature of the research;
• helps ensure, with the support from the supervisor, that research results are published when they are ready, and is entitled to recognition as (co-)author according to the common practice within the discipline;
• seizes the opportunities offered by the supervisor and/or the head of the research unit and others to take part in suitable research networks and, where possible and appropriate, assists in developing such networks.

• monitor the qualities and the proper functioning of the supervisor;
• monitor the qualities and the proper functioning of the PhD students, postdoctoral and other researchers;
• in particular pay sufficient attention to prevention, awareness raising, training, detection, monitoring, remediation and sanctioning with respect to all aspects of research integrity;
• take appropriate action in case of complaints or comments from one or more actors in the research process;
• ensure that research data can be stored securely and durably, within the limits of the facilities available at the institution.