Masterclass 2021: Ethics and Integrity in Research and Innovation

The 2021 SGCI Masterclass brought together Science Granting Councils (SGCs) and key science, technology and innovation (STI) stakeholders to focus on a critical topic: ethics and integrity in research and innovation. Held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event provided a platform for SGCs to explore policies, share good practices, and strengthen their role in guiding ethical research.

Ethics and Integrity Issues Reviewed

This Masterclass tackled several timely and complex issues:

• Do SGCs have clear ethics guidelines for their grantees?
• How do these align with national STI policies?
• What ethical challenges arise in collaborative research, especially across borders or sectors?
• How can different funders’ integrity standards be harmonised?

Discussion Points

Participants also discussed the real-world impact of ethical practices on researchers—how these influence promotions, publishing choices, and innovation opportunities. Gender and inclusion were highlighted as key concerns, with a focus on how ethics and integrity frameworks support or hinder underrepresented groups.

The event featured:

• A keynote presentation from the lead author of a commissioned paper
• Regional and international expert discussants
• A panel sharing practical insights from African SGCs
• A Q&A session for deeper engagement

Key Outcomes

• Greater awareness of how institutional and national ethics policies may conflict
• Improved capacity among SGCs to manage research ethics
• Broad sharing of lessons and good practices across the region
• Clear recommendations to improve ethics guidelines and policy alignment

Overall, the Masterclass 2021 helped solidify ethics and integrity as essential pillars of Africa’s research systems. It empowered SGCs to lead with accountability while encouraging collaborative, high-quality research that serves the public good.