Abstract

1) Policy Integration and Development: Strengthening Ethical Governance
In response to evolving research challenges, the University of Trento has undertaken a thorough revision and integration of its existing policies, aligning them with the latest European and international standards. The Ethical Code has been updated in line with the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, and new policies addressing specific concerns such as child protection and conflict of interest, are in development. These policies serve as a comprehensive framework for the academic community, ensuring that all research conducted under the university's supports adheres to the highest standards of responsibility, ethics, and equity.

2) An Integrated Approach to Research Compliance: Accounting, Ethics and Privacy
Addressing the increasing demands of responsible research at various levels, the University of Trento has developed a comprehensive approach to research compliance. Recognizing the critical importance of accounting, ethics, integrity, and privacy issues, Research support Division introduced a systematic research compliance checklist to help researchers navigate these requirements from the pre-ward phase. This checklist has (will) become a cornerstone in enhancing researchers' understanding and adherence to these principles, ensuring that compliance is seen not as an optional requirement but as a fundamental aspect of research robustness.

3) Digitalised instrument: Ethics Self-Assessment and Privacy Assessment
To enhance support for researchers in meeting compliance requirements, the University of Trento has developed a digitalised service on “research compliance”, focusing on a digital ethics self-assessment (ESA) questionnaire and a privacy assessment tool. These innovations have streamlined the evaluation of research compliance, enabling more efficient and accurate identification of ethical risks and privacy concerns. As a result, researchers are more engaged with ethical issues, and the ESA has notably improved the ethics approval process, making it smoother for projects that do not present significant ethical risks, and more efficient overall, reducing delays and frustrations for PIs.