the University of Innsbruck established the Office for Research Integrity. The new unit, which reports directly to Rector Veronika Sexl, combines the agendas of good scientific practice and of the office of the Advisory Board for Ethical Issues in Scientific Research and is headed by Robert Rebitsch.
The aim of the new Office for Research Integrity is to optimize the procedures in cases of suspected violations of good scientific practice and the procedures for ethics reviews and to provide a single point of contact for these two areas. For all matters relating to student affairs, such as the annulment of assessments and the revocation of academic degrees or academic titles, the Head of Studies, the Vice-Rector for Teaching and Students, remains the legally responsible body at the University of Innsbruck.
In addition to coordination and documentation in the context of the procedure for suspected violations of good scientific practice and the coordination of the Ethics Advisory Board, the focus of the new office is primarily on raising awareness and prevention in the area of good scientific practice (GSP). In cooperation with the relevant departments at the University of Innsbruck, the office will provide a broad and diverse range of information in the field of GSP and ethics. The documentation, further development and quality assurance of the relevant processes are further tasks of the Office for Research Integrity.
The Office for Research Integrity is headed by Priv.-Doz. Mag. Dr. Robert Rebitsch. Rebitsch worked in the projekt.service.office at the University of Innsbruck for over eighteen years and has been in charge of the Ethics Advisory Board's agenda since 2010. He has also repeatedly acted as an assistant to the Vice-Rector for Research in matters of good scientific practice. Robert Rebitsch is a historian who also works as a publicist in his free time.
