The strategy proposes establishing TENK as a specialised authority and granting TENK with new responsibilities in response to the needs of a changing environment.
The Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK has published its strategy extending to 2035. TENK plays a central role in Finland’s research ethics and integrity system as the research community’s highest expert body on research integrity. TENK’s responsibilities encompass research integrity across all disciplines and research ethics in fields that (unlike for example medical research) are not subject to separate regulation.
The strategy seeks to ensure the continuity and development of TENK’s position and responsibilities in response to the needs and expectations of Finland’s research community. The objective is to strengthen Finland’s co-regulatory system for research ethics and integrity at a time when ethical questions in research are becoming increasingly complex and difficult to anticipate and the international aspect of research heightens the need to align national and international ethical norms. The strategy was prepared by TENK in cooperation with Finland’s research community.
The strategy proposes granting TENK the status of a specialised authority. When relevant legislation is updated, the aim is that TENK becomes an independent and autonomous specialised authority for research ethics and integrity, with responsibilities and mandate set out in legislation. TENK’s current position is based on a Government Decree issued in 1991, which forms the normative foundation of Finland’s research ethics and integrity system together with the guidelines TENK develops in cooperation with the research community.
The strategy proposes that Finland’s research ethics and integrity system will be based on co-regulation also in the future and that TENK’s strategic priorities and key responsibilities remain largely unchanged. TENK’s strategic priorities are:
- promoting and monitoring adherence to research integrity and ensuring that RI processes are handled fairly and consistently across all disciplines;
- preventing research misconduct and strengthening competence in research ethics and research integrity across all disciplines;
- safeguarding research participants, research subjects and researchers by ensuring that ethical review is conducted fairly and consistently; and
- serving as a national and international guiding authority on research ethics and integrity and promoting responsible international cooperation in research.
In addition, TENK’s responsibilities are proposed to extend to the following:
- supporting and coordinating national research ethics and integrity training;
- developing, providing guidance on and monitoring the ethical review of research involving nature and the environment, as well as coordinating the work of ethics committees in the field; and
- promoting research security.
These new responsibilities would strengthen TENK’s preventive, advisory and coordinating role, which has been recognised by the research community as increasingly important.
TENK is a pioneer in its field. Finland is among the few countries in Europe that have national research integrity guidelines and national guidelines for the ethical review of research involving human participants outside the field of medical research. Finland has also published possibly the first national recommendation on the use of artificial intelligence in research, as well as ethical principles for research involving nature and the environment. TENK’s Research Integrity Barometer has served as a model for similar surveys in other European countries.
The strategy was approved at TENK’s board meeting in Helsinki on 28 May 2026. It was launched at the House of Science and Letters on 5 October 2026.
Download the strategy:
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