The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (“the Academy”) has a complaint procedure for reporting suspected violations of scientific integrity within its research organisation. This procedure applies both to employees and third parties who have a complaint regarding possible violations of scientific integrity on the part of current or former Academy employees. The complaint procedure is based on the  procedure of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands as revised in June 2012.

Scientific Integrity Counsellors

Counsellors are the first point of contact for questions and complaints regarding scientific integrity. He or she will attempt to intermediate regarding the complaint or inform the complainant about the procedure for filing a complaint. Naturally, counsellors are bound by a duty of confidentiality. The two counsellors are: 

• Prof. A.J.M. (Ton) Berns
• Prof. E.G.E. (Ernestine) van der Wall

Academy Institutes Scientific Integrity Complaint Procedure Committee

The Committee investigates written complaints relating to scientific integrity and issues advice on these complaints to the Academy’s Board of Management. The Committee comprises three people, but it may engage experts on a temporary basis when investigating a given complaint. The criteria for determining the eligibility of a complaint and the procedure for dealing with complaints is laid down in the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Scientific Integrity Complaint Procedure. The Committee may refuse to render decisions on complaints regarding events that took place more than five years ago or on complaints regarding which it has already investigated. The Committee members are:

• Professor M.S. (Marc) Groenhuijsen, Chair
• Professor C.W.P.M. (Kees) Blom, Member
• Professor J.F.T.M. (José) van Dijck, Member
• Professor J.H.J. (Jan) Hoeijmakers, Member
• Professor J.J.A. (Jacques) Thomassen, Member

Contact the Committee, Official Secretary, P.O. Box 19121, 1000 GC Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Or e-mail knaw@bureau.knaw.nl.

National Board for Scientific Integrity

After the Academy’s Management Board has rendered its preliminary decision, the complainant and the accused are afforded a period of six weeks to appeal the decision to the National Board for Scientific Integrity (Landelijk Orgaan Wetenschappelijke Integriteit, also referred to as LOWI).