About DTU Research Ethics Committee (DTU REC)

DTU Research Ethics Committee (DTU REC) is an institutional advisory board established to support DTU-employed researchers in addressing research ethical questions in studies involving human participants and/or human data.

Increasingly, journals, collaboration partners, and research funding programmes expect researchers to reflect on research ethical considerations in addition to applicable legal requirements and, in some cases, provide documentation of an institutional research ethics assessment.

DTU REC has been established as a 1.5-year pilot initiative to support DTU-employed researchers in meeting such expectations for studies that fall outside the Danish Research Ethics Committee system.

DTU REC offers advisory research ethical assessments and written statements for eligible studies conducted by DTU-employed researchers.

DTU REC does not issue legally binding ethical approvals and does not replace statutory ethical review and approval, GDPR compliance, or other legal requirements or institutional processes and assessments conducted through established DTU procedures.

The responsibility for ensuring that research is conducted responsibly and in accordance with applicable legal and institutional requirements remains with the responsible researcher.

DTU REC and the Danish Research Ethics Committee System

DTU REC does not replace the statutory ethical approvals issued by the Danish Research Ethics Committee system.
Under Danish and EU legislation, certain types of health science research involving humans, human biological material, or sensitive health data must be notified to and approved by the relevant research ethics committee in the Danish Research Ethics Committee system before the research can begin. If you are unsure whether your research requires statutory ethical approval within the Danish Research Ethics Committee system, guidance is available on DTU’s research ethics pages.

DTU REC can only assess studies that fall outside the Danish Research Ethics Committee system.

Many studies conducted at DTU involving human participants and/or human data do not require statutory ethical approval in the Danish Research Ethics Committee system. However, researchers may still meet expectations from journals, funders, collaboration partners, or international research programmes to reflect on and document research ethical considerations, in particular when involving human participants and/or human data. In such cases, DTU REC may provide an advisory research ethics assessment and written statement for eligible studies.

Researchers remain responsible for determining whether their study requires statutory ethical approval and for ensuring compliance with applicable legal and institutional requirements.

Purpose of DTU REC and the pilot project

The pilot has been established in response to a growing need for institutional support for research ethics in studies involving human participants and/or human data that fall outside the Danish Research Ethics Committee system.

The purpose of the pilot is to:

• support DTU-employed researchers in addressing research ethical considerations early in the design of studies involving human participants and/or human data,
• provide researchers with access to advisory research ethics assessments and written statements that may be used as documentation for external parties,
• strengthen and further develop institutional support and competence relating to research ethics at DTU, and
• generate institutional experience and learning that can support future development of research ethics guidance, teaching, organization, and support functions at DTU.

DTU REC is established as a voluntary advisory support function. The pilot period will be used to gather experience regarding researchers’ needs for guidance, support, and institutional research ethics assessment at DTU.

Organization and composition of DTU REC

DTU REC is an institutional advisory board composed of academic staff members from selected DTU departments with experience in research ethics and studies involving human participants and/or human data.

During the pilot phase, DTU REC includes representatives from six DTU departments. The initial composition reflects departments that either already have experience with institutional research ethics assessment practices or have expressed a particular need for institutional support relating to research ethics in studies involving human participants and/or human data.

DTU REC currently includes representatives from DTU Compute, DTU Management, and DTU Health Tech. The remaining participating departments are expected to be confirmed during summer 2026.

Members of DTU REC are appointed by DTU’s Provost based on nominations from the participating departments.

DTU REC is supported by the REC Secretariat based in DTU's Research Office, in the Office for Research, Advice and Innovation (AFRI).

What DTU REC assess

DTU REC provides advisory research ethics assessments of studies involving human participants and/or human data that fall outside the Danish Research Ethics Committee system. Assessments are based on recognized research ethical principles relating to respect for participants, voluntary participation, proportionality, fairness, and appropriate protection of participants and their data.

Further information about the DTU REC mandate, scope, and eligibility criteria is found under the page “Before you request a DTU REC assessment”.

Further guidance and FAQ

The DTU REC Inside pages are currently being developed and will be continuously expanded during May and June 2026 with guidance materials, templates, practical information, and FAQ related to DTU REC.

Introductory materials

An introductory presentation about DTU REC can be downloaded below. The presentation provides general background information about the pilot project and the purpose and scope of DTU REC, and can be shared and used within departments, research sections, and the administration.

The presentation is currently only available in Danish. An English version will be added later during the pilot implementation phase.

• DTU REC introductory presentation