About the commission

According to the research ethics act (Lov om organisering av forskningsetisk arbeid) the research institutions have the main responsibility for research integrity. The institutions shall promote good and ethically responsible science, and treat cases concerning possible misconduct.

The National commission for the investigation of research misconduct (Granskingsutvalget) was initially established in accordance with the first Norwegian research ethics act (2006) and started its work in 2007. According to the resent research ethics act (2017), the commission shall guide the research institutions on how to handle cases on research misconduct. The research institutions shall also report to the commission on the handling of all misconduct cases.

Appeals body

The commission acts as the appeals body in cases where the institutions conclude with scientific misconduct. It can also initiate investigations on its own initiative. Statements from Granskingsutvalget are final and cannot be appealed.

Statements

The Commission gives public statements in misconduct cases that are made available through our webpage (Norwegian only). 

Cooperation

The commission cooperates closely with the national research ethics committees NEM, NENT and NESH, both to prevent and inform about scientific misconduct.

The Norwegian National Research Ethics Committees are offering a number of resources available to the research institutions and researchers.   

Granskingsutvalget also cooperates with other national and international partners.

Annual reports

Up to 2014 and as of 2018, the Commission has published separate annual reports. From 2015 to 2017 the Commission’s reporting was included in the joint annual reports from The Norwegian National Research Ethics Committees.

All the annual reports are available online (Norwegian only). 

Members 2026-2029

Hans Petter Graver (Chair), Professor Emeritus at the Department of Private Law, University of Oslo (UiO) 
Geir Sverre Braut (Deputy chair), community medicine specialist, Senior Adviser at Stavanger University Hospital, Professor II at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)
Bjørn M. Hofmann, Professor, Department of Health Sciences Gjøvik, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and adjunct professor at the Centre for medical ethics at the University of Oslo (UiO)
Nina Langeland, Professor, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen (UiB)
Niamh Ní Bhroin, Associate Professor, Department of Nordic and Media Studies, University of Agder (UiA)
Henriette Sinding Aasen, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Bergen (UiB) 
Biplab Kumar Datta (Lay member), Director of Innovation, NILU – Norwegian Institute for Air Research
May-Brith Ohman Nielsen, professor of history, The University of Agder (UiA)
Tove Godskesen (Deputy member), Professor, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Nord University
Camilla Serck-Hanssen (Deputy member), Director, Centre for Advanced Study (CAS)
Gunnar Hartvigsen (Deputy member), Professor, Department of Computer Science, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway