The Research Ethics and Integrity Office (RIO) at the Bangalore Life Science Cluster (BLiSC) campus has been created to provide support to various stakeholders working on campus to ensure the ethical and responsible conduct of research.
The responsibility of ensuring research ethics and integrity lies predominantly with scientists and researchers who have participated in the research project in various capacities, RIO partners with the research community to ensure all scientific work is done ethically following the Government of India as well as international guidelines and regulations, and international guidelines where applicable
Remit
- The primary remit of the RIO is to oversee the research ethics and integrity in relation to BLiSC research and innovation activities. The RIO works with 3 primary verticals under the supervision of the Faculty Advisory Committee consisting of DBT-inStem and NCBS-TIFR leadership:-
- Policy formulation and intervention: The office formulates relevant policies, standard operating protocols, and procedures to help institutional leadership on ethics and integrity matters arising out of the ongoing and completed research activities at the institute.
- Documentation: To improve the transparency and reproducibility of research conducted at the institute, the RIO maintains a central data repository for research outcomes. Additionally, the RIO also helps in data compilation, and report preparation.
- Capacity Building: The RIO conducts academic training programs for various stakeholders (e.g., ethics courses for doctoral students, project personnel, research associates, trainees and monthly awareness seminars for visitors). Additionally, RIO also explores new tools which are being used internationally to safeguard research ethics and integrity at institutes for higher education.
Resources
Bangalore Life Science Cluster
- NCBS Good Research Practice Policy
- Lab Safety Manual(link is external)
- Student Handbook
- Bangalore Life Sciences Cluster (BLiSC) Conflict of Interest Policy
- Bangalore Life Sciences Cluster (BLiSC) IP Policy
- inStem’s Research Ethics and Integrity policy
National
- National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research(link is external)
- ICMR Guidelines for Research Integrity and Publication Ethics(link is external)
- CSIR Guidelines for Ethics in Research and in Governance
- UGC Guidelines in Academic Integrity and Research Quality(link is external)
- DST policy on Conflict of Interest(link is external)
International
- International Society for Stem Cell Research Guidelines for the field of Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine(link is external)
- Singapore Statement on Research Integrity(link is external)
- Canadian Tri-Agency framework for Responsible Conduct of Research(link is external)
- United Kingdom Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) Self-Assessment Tool for The Concordat to Support Research Integrity(link is external)
- United Kingdom Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) Good practice in research: Internet Mediated Research(link is external)
- Human Frontier Science Programme Sources on Good Scientific Practice(link is external)
- Standards for Human Stem Cell Use in Research
RIO Team
Sabuj Bhattacharyya, Ph.D.
Research Ethics and Integrity Officer (Scientist C)
DBT-inStem and Bangalore Life Science Cluster
Email: sabujb@instem.res.in
Phone:+ 91-80-23668216
Sabuj joined DBT- inStem as Research Ethics and Integrity Officer in February 2022. He has received training in wildlife sciences as well as in research ethics and integrity during his doctoral tenure at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, and the University of Colorado, Boulder (through CSIR and Nehru-Fulbright doctoral fellowship). He has explored conservation genomics during his post-doctoral tenure at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and the University of Sheffield, UK (through DBT-RA and British Commonwealth Fellowship). Prior to joining DBT-inStem, he worked as a grant adviser at DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance, Hyderabad to facilitate clinical and biomedical research in India. Sabuj is currently serving as a member of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Advisory Panel (2021-2023), UK. In the future, he would like to use his expertise in systematic review and meta-analysis to understand gaps and challenges in the field of academic integrity in the global south.
His published research work can be found in the here. For more details about Sabuj and his work please visit his ORCID profile (0000-0002-4335-0751)
Former Member
Ms Sebanti Tewary
Project Associate
DBT-inStem
Sebanti completed her Post Graduate (M.Tech) in Biotechnology from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore. She has a strong interest in molecular biology and genetic research. Her master’s thesis project explored “Synergistic effect of Diclofenac and D-Limonene against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer cell line”. This project has provided her with valuable skills in handling mammalian cell cultures, flow cytometry, and accurate interpretation of experimental data. Her undergraduate project at Adamas University, Kolkata project aimed to “Evaluate the toxicity of metallic nanoparticles through seed germination” and enabled her to understand the nuances of fundamental techniques in various analytical tools and scientific experiments. Importantly, this experience fostered her interest in the scientific research field. Sebanti had also received the Merit Award from VIT for the academic year 2022-2023 for her outstanding performance, demonstrating dedication and hard work and academic excellence throughout the year. As a Project Associate at RIO, inStem Sebanti’s work aims to understand gaps and challenges in academic integrity in Life Science ecosystem in India. Sebanti is a NET aspirant and wants to pursue her doctoral degree in Genetics and Stem Cell Science in future.
