Research Ethics Committee of the University of Basel

Research projects that fall within the jurisdiction of one of the following institutions are not evaluated by the Research Ethics Committee:

• Projects that fall within the jurisdiction of the Ethikkommission Nordwest- und Zentralschweiz (EKNZ) according to the Human Research Act (HRA) and the Stem Cell Research Act (StRA);
• Projects involving animals that fall within the jurisdiction of the cantonal veterinary authority of Basel-Stadt according to the Animal Welfare Act (AniWA);
• Projects involving genetic resources that fall within the jurisdiction of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) according to the Nagoya Protocol;
• Projects involving genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that fall within the jurisdiction of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) according to the Containment Ordinance (ContainO), except for projects that fall under the «Regulations on Particularly Risky Research»;
• Projects that are under review by an ethics committee at another university or research institution or that have already been accepted with conditions or rejected;
• Projects that fall under the regulations of the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Psychology (EKFP) of the University of Basel. These transitional provisions apply until end of Spring semester 2026 (see KFE Regulations §10).
   

The Regulations of the Research Ethics Committee (KFE) define the purpose, the tasks and competencies of the committee. It specifies its composition, terms of office, and other provisions concerning its members and management. The procedure for ethics review is also explained.

The Regulations on Particularly Risky Research define what constitutes risky research. They also explain the procedure for research projects and collaborations that require approval.

With its Guide to Participant Observation, the KFE  provides ethics and data protection recommendations for researchers.