About NEM
Among other things, NEM addresses complaints under the Health Research Act on decisions in Regional Committees for Medical and Health Research Ethics (REK).
Founding
NEM was established in 1990 by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. Until then, ethical questions concerning medical research had been evaluated by the Medical Research Council’s ethics committee. NEM is a continuation of this committee.
Appointment and composition
Members of NEM 2026-2029
Kaja K. Selmer, Vice Chair. Head of Neurogenetics Research Group, Oslo University Hospital.
Steven Blackman (Lay member), self-employed. Consultant, editor, copywriter and project manager.
Jo Røislien, professor of medical statistics at the University of Stavanger, senior researcher at the Norwegian Air Ambulance and guest researcher at King’s College London
Gunnhild Storbekkrønning Solli, Associate Professor, Department of Property and Law, Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Stian Solem, Professor, Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Sina Wittlund, Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Nord University
Stian Øby Johansen, Associate Professor, Department of Public and International Law, University of Oslo
Nina Øyen, Professor, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen
Maren Høland, Scientific Advisor, Østfold Hospital
Hilde M. Lovett, Senior Advisor, The Norwegian Directorate of Health
Heidi Ormstad, Vice-rector, University of South-Eastern Norway
Henning Pettersen, Professor, Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, University of Inland Norway
Heidi Jerpseth (Deputy member), Associate Professor in Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Oslo Metropolitan University
Kjetil Fretheim (Deputy member), Professor, Ethics and Diaconal Studies, MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society
Ingrid Miljeteig (Deputy member), Professor, Medical Ethics at the University of Bergen (UiB)
The committee has 12 full members and three deputy members with different professional backgrounds. Traditionally, the committee has been chaired by a physician. Pursuant to its charter the committee, in addition to having medical expertise, includes members with competence in ethics, psychology, genetics and the law. The committee also has lay representative.
Committee members are appointed by the Ministry of Education and Research based on recommendations from the Research Council of Norway. Members are given four-year terms, with the stipulation that no individual can serve on the committee for more than two periods. The committee usually meets six to seven times a year.
Secretariat
The Committee has a permanent secretariat director who attends to the day-to-day business of the Committee. Norway’s three national research ethics committees also have a common secretariat in the centre of Oslo with joint PR and administrative functions.
Publications
NEM's guidelines are published here.
All publications by the national committees for research ethics are found here.
Annual reports
Starting 2018, the national committees for research ethics have been required to publish annual reports. NEM's reports are found here (Norwegian only).
NEM and REK
NEM is an advisory and coordinating body for the seven regional committees for medical and health research ethics (REK) and for the two committees evaluating clinical trials of medicinal products and medical devices (REK KULMU). In addition, NEM is the appellate body for project applications handled by REK and REK KULMU.
REK must pre-approve the following:
- Medical and health research projects that aim to generate new knowledge
- Research biobanks
- Exemption from confidentiality for other types of research
For more information, go to REK's website.
The regional committees consider all research projects within their field, while NEM only resolves appeals. As part of this process, NEM often addresses complex research ethics questions in its written decisions and sets precedent accordingly. Most of NEM's rulings since 1997 are available online (mainly in Norwegian). Cooperation between NEM and the regional committees is ensured by meetings between the chair and the secretary from all the committees twice a year.
In addition, all committee members from both NEM and the regional committees meet for a two-day conference, the Storfelles-meeting, in the autumn for professional replenishment and discussion.
In addition to publishing decisions, statements, reports and guidelines, the committee may organizes open debate meetings on various research ethics topics.