The Research Ethics Committee (CEI) of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) has closed 2024 with a balance of 128 original research projects evaluated, which means 3.2% growth compared to the previous year. Of these, 77 required revision and corrections, reaching a total of 205 projects reported throughout the year.
IRB activity continues to be on the rise since 2019, with the first four months of 2025 already seeing 48% more projects evaluated compared to the same period in 2024, reflecting the growing demand for ethical control in research. Most of the studies evaluated involved human subjects, followed by animal projects and, to a lesser extent, genetically modified organisms and biological risk agents.
Particularly noteworthy is the achievement of almost total parity in the authorship of projects: when original projects and reviews are added together, the percentage of female principal investigators reached 49.8%, compared to 50.2% of male investigators. This 50% equality is a notable advance over previous years, reflecting a greater female presence in projects subject to ethical evaluation, especially significant in traditionally male-dominated STEM disciplines.
To cope with the increased workload, the IRB expanded its composition during 2024, incorporating new evaluating members and, for the first time, a person specializing in artificial intelligence, given the expansion of this type of research.
In the area of conflicts of interest, three cases were successfully resolved during the year. In terms of training, the CEI collaborated with the Institute of Education Sciences and the Doctoral School of the UPV to reinforce training on scientific integrity and good research practices. These actions included modules aimed at both educational innovation teams and new doctoral students, with the aim of promoting ethics as an essential pillar of research activity.
With these data, the Committee reaffirms its commitment to the integrity, transparency and rigor of the research carried out at the UPV, consolidating its position as a guarantor of good scientific practices in an increasingly demanding and changing environment..
This document underlines the key role of the committee in ensuring that the UPV maintains the highest standards in its scientific output, adapting to the challenges of a constantly evolving research environment.
You can read it in full at the following link: Annual Report 2024
Source: CEI 2024 Annual Report – Universitat Politècnica de València