A representation of the Research Ethics Committee of the Universitat Politècnica de València participated last May 7, 8 and 9 in the XIV Meeting of the Network of Ethics Committees of Universities and Public Organizations of Spain (RCE), held at the University of Girona.
The forum brought together representatives of committees from all over the country to address common challenges, such as the evaluation of research projects in humans, animals, biosafety, genetically modified organisms or emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. They also discussed the need to systematize procedures, improve the continuous training of committee members and strengthen the monitoring of research projects, especially those involving significant ethical or social risks.
In this context, a shared concern was expressed about the generalized lack of economic resources, specialized personnel and technical infrastructure to guarantee rigorous ethical evaluation and effective follow-up of projects. This lack of resources limits the capacity of RECs to respond to the growing complexity and volume of projects, and makes it difficult to comply with the principles of scientific integrity and good practices required by both national regulations and international standards.
Likewise, the urgency of advancing in greater regulatory harmonization and coordination between committees was pointed out, in addition to providing them with a stable legal and budgetary framework that allows them to professionalize their work. Currently, they lack state recognition as they are outside the scope of Royal Decree 1090/2015. Without this support, they agreed that it will be difficult to maintain the confidence of society and the research staff in the ethical evaluation of scientific activity.
With its participation in this meeting, the CEI of the UPV reinforces its commitment to cooperation, continuous improvement and the defense of integrity and transparency in university research.