Reference
Diekmann, L., Fritsch, J., & Krätzner-Ebert, A. (2020) Third Progress Report (German Research Foundation & National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Eds.). Joint Committee on the Handling of Security-Relevant Research.
The compliance with ethical principles in security-relevant research receives internationally increasing attention. In particular, aspects of export control and research cooperation with foreign partners are in the focus of German politics and research funding. Security-relevant research risks continue to develop dynamically, for example through new synergies of different disciplines such as research on artificial intelligence, engineering sciences and molecular biology. The report explains, among other things, the state of international debates on selected research fields, legal frameworks and funding requirements, and how selected publishers and journals deal with security-relevant research. It further describes the reported activities of the approximately 90 Committees for Ethics in Security-Relevant Research (KEFs). From this feedback, the Joint Committee has compiled “Key questions for the ethical assessment of security-relevant research” which are also part of the report.