Responsible Research

The University must seek to be compliant with the requirement that all research carried out under the auspices of the University, or for which they are responsible, fulfils all requirements of health and safety legislation and good practice. Certain types of research, for example social research in a conflict zone, can present particular issues of health and safety. All research which involves potentially harmful or hazardous material, or which might cause harm to the environment, must comply with all legal requirements and other applicable guidelines.

The University and its researchers must ensure that any contracts or agreements relating to research include provision for ownership and use of intellectual property. Intellectual Property Law regulates the ownership and use of creative works. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) extends to a variety of intangible assets, including but not limited to: research data and other findings of research; ideas, processes, software, hardware, apparatus and equipment; substances and materials; music, artistic and literary works, including academic and scientific publications. The main Intellectual Property Rights available to researchers are Copy rights, Moral rights, Patents, Know-how, Design rights and Trademarks.

Researchers should be aware of and comply with any additional conditions relating to intellectual property required by funding bodies.

It is essential that researchers understand the risks associated with their research work, the limitations of the University’s insurances including relevant terms and conditions, and prepare contingency plans to be implement in the event of an incident affecting their research.

The University has comprehensive insurances that provide cover against many of the risks that may arise from research work. This includes both risks to the successful completion of research work and risk arising from research work. However, insurance never covers all the costs incurred in an incident either because of policy excesses (typically in the range £2.5K to £10K) and/or uninsured costs including for example the effort required to successfully make a claim, the inevitable delay in completing planned work.

If a claim is made researchers are responsible for providing detailed information of losses to the insurers, including any invoices and work plans as appropriate. Researchers also need to prepare a recovery of work plan.

Related Policies

Brunel University Responsible Research Policy

Intellectual Property Policy

Brunel University London Guidance on Risk and Insurance for Research