Report:005904b0-5cb1-4bfa-865c-308af21258ad

Based on the document Report:005904b0-5cb1-4bfa-865c-308af21258ad which was published on 2021-10-25T08:50:10 on the website "Embassy of Good Science" under the URL https://embassy.science/wiki/Report:005904b0-5cb1-4bfa-865c-308af21258ad, the research ifrastructure of {{{Display_Title}}} is described as follows: According to preliminary data, there were 40,084 full-time researchers in Greece in 2019 (1). There are 24 universities. All the Higher Tertiary state-accredited universities and technological educational institutes in Greece are public (2). There are also 40 public research centres including institutes and units that they are comprised of (3).

Facts & Figures

Greece

Where

• Greece

Research infrastructure

According to preliminary data, there were 40,084 full-time researchers in Greece in 2019 (1). There are 24 universities. All the Higher Tertiary state-accredited universities and technological educational institutes in Greece are public (2). There are also 40 public research centres including institutes and units that they are comprised of (3).

Research funding

According to preliminary data, the gross expenditures on research and development were €2.336.58 million in 2019 (4,5), which comprises 1.27% of the country’s GDP (1). Most funding was spent in the business sector (45.9%), higher education (30.7%), public sector (22.56%) and private non-profit organisations (0.84%) (1).

Greece had 2706 grants receiving €1.55 billion funding from H2020 (5). It also had 40 ERC signed grants receiving €44.21 million from H2020 (5).

Research strategy

In 2013, General Secretariat for Research and Technology launched National Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization 2014-2020. The Strategy presented a SWOT analysis of the Greek RD&I system. Based on main challenges identified in the analysis, the main objective of the National Research & Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization (RIS3) was a transformation of the productive sector through research, technological development and innovation while mitigating regional disparities and creating sustainable employment. Specific priorities were identified within these eight fields: Agrofood, Life Sciences & Health – Pharma, Information and Communication Technologies, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development, Transport and Logistics, Material – Construction, Culture – Tourism – Cultural & Creative Industries.

Research governance, compliance and integrity

There are two national bodies for research ethics and research integrity in Greece – the National Bioethics & Technoethics Committee (which replaced National Bioethics Commission), having consultative role, and the National Ethics Committee for Clinical Trials of the Ministry of Health at the National Organization for Medicines, the only relevant organisation with legal mandate in Greece (6). Apart from those, the National Committee for the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes (NCPASC) was established in 2013 as an entity of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and advisory body regarding matters related to research with animals (7).

Besides the national organisations, there are local institutional research ethics committees in all Universities and Research Centres with the task of dealing with issues of research integrity as well (8).

All Greek Universities must have a Deontology Committee (DC). DCs are manned by the Deans and the vice-Rector responsible for Academic Affairs, Student Care and Lifelong Education. Their responsibilities include drafting a Code of Conduct (CoC) for academic, administrative and research issues, safeguarding the application of the CoC and pinpoint research misconduct, preparing an annual report concerning the application of the CoC and suggest any needed additions and examining allegation of research misconduct coming from the institute's community. If such an allegation has a basis a report is sent to the Rector to proceed with a formal investigation (8). From March 2018, a Research Ethics and Deontology Committee (REDC) is active in each RPO. Their main task is to apply ethical assessment in research proposals (8). All Greek Research Performing Organisations must also have Research Ethics and Deontology Committee (REDC) (8).

FORTH Ethics Committee (FEC), created in 2005, is an advisory body for the research personnel of FORTH. FEC provides ethical review of research proposals submitted by the researchers.

There are also two networks regarding research integrity, which work on the promotion and training to help scientists comply with the highest standards of research ethics and research integrity (8).

Ethical Aspects in Research and Technology for Human (EARTHnet) is a leading network regarding RE+RI. The network works on raising awareness among Greek academic community on research ethics and research integrity issues, promotes the institutionalisation of a national code of conduct for research and the establishment of a national research ethics and research integrity committee.

The Network of Responsible Conduct of Research in Greece (RCR-Greece) was founded by researchers, professors, scientists and professionals to promote research integrity and for the purpose of education and training for scientists in the field of research integrity.

Greece does not have a national code of conduct for research integrity but most universities have developed their codes, together with the code of research ethics. One of the priorities of the EARTHnet is to promote the establishment of the national research ethics and research integrity committee and drafting the National Code of Conduct for Research (9). Ad-hoc committees or Research Performing Organisations, for example universities and research institutions, cope with cases of research misconduct. The procedures are described by the internal Code of Conduct of each institution (8). The publication of cases of misconduct depends on each institution. For example, the Technological Educational Institute of Crete in its Code of Ethics states that sharing information with the community will be discussed in each case and then decided whether to publish information or not (10).

Greece does not have a law or a provision on whistleblower protection, so it is obliged to comply with the 2019 EU Directive to implement an ad-hoc legislation by the end of 2021 (11).

Bodies for RE+RI	Scope
National Bioethics Commission (National Bioethics and Technoethics Committee)	Investigates the ethical, social and legal aspects arising from research advances in biology, biotechnology, medicine genetics as well as those related to the development and social integration of new and emerging technologies. It also provides recommendations to the Prime Minister and the Parliament, collaborates with international organizations and related bodies, represents Greece to international fora, and informs the public on issues regarding biotechnological advances and the impact of their applications. It publishes the e-journal “BIOETHICA” and it organises educational activities for schools.
National Organization for Medicines	Aims to promote and regulate good clinical practice in the conduct of clinical trials. Moreover, it issues approval for clinical trials.
National Committee for the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes (NCPASC)	Provides advices to the competent authorities, to the animal welfare bodies as well as to the Protocol Evaluation Committees on matters relating to the acquisition, breeding, accommodation, care and use of animals in procedures, for issues of the continuing education and training of persons who are involved in the implementation of the P.D. 56/2013 and also ensures the exchange and communication of best practices. It exchanges information on the functioning of the animal welfare bodies and the evaluation of projects by the competent central authority, as well as on best practices within the European Union.

Laws and regulations

A number of laws regarding RE and RI are officially instated in Greece.

Law	Scope
Act on the establishment of National Council of Medical Ethics and Deontology	Addresses the rights of hospital patients and provides greater protection for people admitted compulsorily.
Regulation (EU) 2016/679	Aims to protect natural persons with regard to processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data.
Law 4624/2019: Protection of Personal Data and Measures for the Implementation of the GDPR	Enacts supplemental measures for the application of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and incorporates Directive (EU) 2016/680.
Act 2619/1998: ratification of the Oviedo Convention	This act implemented the Oviedo Convention in Greece.
Law No. 4009 of 2011 concerning the Structure, Function, and Quality of Studies, and the Internationalization of Higher Educational Institutions	Provides organizational structure for the universities.

Measures to promote good scientific practices and open science

RI training

RCR-Greece has started to educate the Master’s students of two Greek Universities in Research Integrity by offering relevant lectures (12). The Hellenic National Bioethics & Technoethics Commission and the Laboratory for the Research of Medical Law and Ethics organise seminars for postgraduate students of all the Schools of Positive and Theoretical Sciences, as well as professional lawyers, judges, doctors, educators and others. The seminars cover a wide range of critical issues including human reproduction, applications of genetics, clinical studies, euthanasia, cloning and nanotechnology. Moreover, the Commission is organising open, monthly seminars with various subjects including in vitro fertilization, gene therapy, medical errors, mental health etc. (13).

EARTHnet/NTUA has prepared and is organizing training courses on Research Ethics and Research Integrity for Postgraduate students and PhD candidates (14).

The courses have been customized for Engineers and graduates from Natural Sciences. The materials mainly used for RI trainings are:

What I Know about Bioethics -National Bioethics Committee (T. Vidalis, V. Mollaki)

The University of the Aegean – Code of Conduct

The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – Code of Conduct in Research

The University of Crete - Code of Ethics

The University of Thessaly - Ethics Code

The Athens University of Applied Sciences – Code of Ethics

The Technological Educational Institute of Crete – Code of Ethics

RI dialogue and communication

The members of EARTHnet work on the promotion of research ethics and research integrity and on raising awareness on issues regarding RE and RI. The network has 15 members, from universities and research institutions (15). The Athens Science Festival is organised since 2014 to bring closer science to the society. Thessaly Science Festival aims to present high-quality research in Greece to the general public and explain complicated scientific subjects in fun and creative ways.

Public awareness of research integrity needs to be boosted. The EARTHnet initiative works on the dissemination of its activities and promotion of research integrity through various newspapers (9). Research integrity is occasionally discussed in press and is usually related to corruption or fraud.

RI incentives

There are several awards for outstanding and innovative researchers.

Guidelines

Greece

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Andrijana Perković Paloš, Elsa Amin contributed to this report. Latest contribution was Oct 25, 2021