The UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO)

The UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) is an independent advisory body, hosted by Universities UK. Launched in 2006, we offer support to researchers, research organisations and members of the public in order to further integrity in research and promote good practice in addressing misconduct in research.

We are supported by government and the major regulators and funders of health and biomedical research. Our Board includes representatives from these organisations, as well as independent and lay members, and gives guidance to the staff of the Research integrity Office.

UKRIO is an independent and confidential advisory body. Our funders do not determine who we may give advice to or what advice we may give, and any advice given is kept confidential by UKRIO.

We welcome general enquiries on any issues relating to good practice or misconduct in research as well as requests for assistance with specific allegations of misconduct in research.

The advice and guidance provided by UKRIO are available to all, including research organisations, individual researchers and members of the public. Set up with a formal remit to provide support to the health and biomedical sciences research community, since our inception we have also provided advice and guidance to universities, NHS institutions, other research organisations, individual researchers and the public across all subject areas.

UKRIO is not a regulatory body and has no formal legal powers. It was set up to provide independent support to employers, research organisations, researchers and members of the public where there was none. The advice and guidance it offers is not mandatory but reflects best practice in the conduct of research and addressing misconduct.

We recognise that there are many organisations which issue guidance on the conduct of research to the UK research community. For some time, UKRIO has been working with organisations such as Research Councils UK and the Department of Health, with a view ultimately to streamline guidance on good practice in research, to ensure that it is clear for the research community, and to avoid duplication of effort. Further developments will be made known to the research community as they occur.

Our current programme of work is outlined here and a summary can be downloaded here.

Details on how to contact us can be found here.

To report concerns about the conduct of research and obtain confidential advice, please contact our Research Integrity Helpline.