1. Roles and responsibilities

The overview describes responsibilities and tasks for functions and roles that are involved in the research activity at HVL.

Responsible for the processing of research data

  • The institution's management, by the vice-rector for research
  • The research administration and other administrative support services (e.g., library, IT) can execute the tasks.

Responsibility

  • Overall responsibility for ensuring that HVL has systems and the necessary infrastructure to safeguard privacy in research and handle health research data following Norwegian law and recognised ethical norms in research.

Tasks

  • Develop policies, rules, and routines and the necessary infrastructure for handling personal information in research and student projects.
  • Establish and follow up routines for assessing privacy consequences in research projects.
  • Maintain a comprehensive protocol of all processing of personal data for research and quality assurance purposes.
  • Ensure that there is a system for training employees, guest researchers, students and others involved in the research activity.
  • Develop and maintain technical systems and solutions for sound processing of research data.
  • Develop necessary standards and templates for contracts, agreements, consent, etc.
  • Perform internal control of own research projects.
  • Check, revise and update routines and guidelines regularly and as needed.

Rector

  • The leader with responsibility for research at the faculty level
  • The rector can delegate tasks to a lower level (e.g., vice-rector, centre leader, head of a department) where this is appropriate.

Responsibility

  • Responsibility for ensuring that personal information in research projects and health research data in projects at the faculty is handled following Norwegian law recognised ethical norms in research and guidelines for research projects at HVL.

Tasks

  • Provide training for project staff and students at the faculty in routines for research and data security.
  • Establish faculty-specific routines to ensure that employees and students follow Norwegian law, recognise research ethics norms and guidelines for research projects at HVL.
  • Clarify and enter into necessary agreements related to research projects and student assignments, such as data processor agreements, collaboration agreements, agreements with non-employees.

Project manager/daily responsible

  • Employee with the necessary competence to lead a research project.
  • Supervisor is project manager for student assignments at a lower level than PhD.
  • PhD candidates are usually the project manager for their projects.

Responsibilities

  • Responsibility for the daily operation of the research project is carried out following Norwegian law, recognised ethical norms in research and guidelines for research projects at HVL.
  • Responsibility for informing the person responsible for processing and the dean in the event of breaches, routine failures, conflicts of interest and other matters of significance.

Tasks

  • Ensure the necessary pre-assessment of projects and ensure that activity does not start until the assessment has been completed and information about the processing of personal data has been recorded through an application for access to a research server.
  • Ensure that research projects are planned, implemented, and completed following approved research protocols/project descriptions, Norwegian law, recognise research ethics norms and guidelines for research projects at HVL.

Researcher

  • Person with the necessary skills to perform custom tasks in the project.

Responsibilities

  • Responsibility for carrying out the research project following Norwegian law, recognising ethical norms in research and guidelines for research projects at HVL.
  • Responsibility for immediately informing the project manager in the event of breaches and routine failures, or other matters.

Tasks

  • Ensure that the necessary assessment and registration is prior research activity starts up.
  • Ensure that research projects are planned, implemented, and completed following approved research protocols/project descriptions, Norwegian law, recognise research ethics norms and guidelines for research projects at HVL.

Student (master/PhD)

  • Student with the necessary competence to perform work tasks in the project, defined by the supervisor or project manager.

Responsibilities

  • Responsibility for carrying out the research project following Norwegian law, recognised ethical norms in research and guidelines for research projects at HVL.
  • Responsibility for immediately informing the supervisor in the event of deviations and routine failures or other matters of significance for the project implementation.
  • Ask for the necessary training if he/she does not feel able to fulfil the responsibilities described above.

Tasks

  • Ensure that the necessary assessment and registration is available before the research activity starts.
  • Ensure that research projects are planned, implemented, and completed following approved research protocols/project descriptions, Norwegian law, recognised research ethics norms and guidelines for research projects at HVL.

Data protection officer (DPO)

  • HVL has a position / function as a privacy representative. Former DPO for research, The Norwegian Center for Research Data (NSD) performs tasks as a privacy consultant for research.
  • NSD, REK and others can execute some of the tasks.

Responsibilities

  • Contribute to HVL complying with the Personal Data Act with regulations.
  • Assess and recommend research and student projects following the provisions of the privacy regulations

Tasks

  • Advise the institution on how the privacy regulations can be complied with and check that the rules are followed.
  • Take care of the general duty to consult.
  • Capture the need for privacy impact assessments and prior discussions with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority.
  • Guide and inform the individual researcher and student about research and privacy.