In this document, the term "Person acting within NPI" is used to more accurately express the complexity of different individuals' relationships with the institution.

Preamble

The Internal Ethical Code of the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as NPI) summarizes the guiding principles and values of ethical behavior in science and research, thus supporting the establishment of desirable moral standards at NPI.

All persons acting at NPI, including those working outside of an employment relationship or students, are primarily guided by the "Ethical Code of Scientific and Research Activities in the Czech Academy of Sciences" (see general principles, principles of research work, principles of publishing knowledge and results, principles of behavior towards collaborators, and principles for evaluative, review, and expert activities).

The common principles and values of NPI are found through reflection and discussions among individuals with diverse scientific, philosophical, and theological views. All persons at NPI contribute to the creation of shared values and the realization of the institute's research and societal goals in accordance with their best conscience and awareness.

General Principles of the Ethical Code of Scientific and Research Activities at NPI

Each Person acting within NPI must:

• Follow the basic moral principles and values of the academic environment in their work, which include especially:
  • Freedom of inquiry
  • Justice
  • Equal access
  • Responsibility
  • Honesty
  • Conscientiousness
  • Trust
  • Respect for others
• Avoid conflicts of interest that would arise from their position at the Czech Academy of Sciences and related activities, as well as their personal or other interests, and show respect for the Academy by not endangering its activities with their other actions.
• Dedicate themselves to the research they conduct with full professional and personal commitment, in accordance with their work engagement. The total amount of contractual work commitments across all institutions should not typically exceed 1.5 times the work engagement.
• Require from their collaborators behavior that aligns with these principles.
• Not defend or cover up behavior that contradicts the principles outlined in this code, even by citing necessary obedience or loyalty.
• Consider science and research as an integral part of culture and the basis of innovation, defending them against any possible doubts.
• Stand against unethical and inappropriate use of scientific knowledge.
• Continuously expand and deepen their knowledge and strive to improve their professional skills.
• Maintain a critical attitude towards their own findings and results, as well as those of their collaborators, and be open to discussion and objective arguments.
• Defend freedom of scientific thought, expression, exchange of views, and information.
• Reject the use of non-scientific approaches and politically or socially prejudiced (e.g., racist, religious, or nationalist) perspectives in science.
• Adhere to the principles of impartiality and independence from ideological and political pressures and the interests of lobbying groups.
• Acknowledge and promote in the scientific community the principles of reliable, trustworthy scientific work, and reject any form of scientific dishonesty and violations of this code.
• Not hesitate to report breaches of ethics in scientific and research work to the relevant authorities, should they become aware of such incidents. After exhausting all available options for solving the issue using internal mechanisms of the Academy of Sciences (as per Chapter VI), they may disclose such breaches without necessarily violating loyalty to the Czech Academy of Sciences.
• Avoid wasting material resources and energy and aim to minimize the climate and ecological footprint of their activities.
• Strive to strengthen the institutional resilience of the Czech Academy of Sciences and consciously refrain from creating space for undesirable foreign influences.

Principles of Research Work

Persons acting within NPI must:

• Focus their efforts on expanding the boundaries of scientific knowledge for the benefit of society.
• Conduct research in a manner that does not endanger society, the environment, or cultural values.
• Carry out animal experiments with respect for living creatures.
• When obtaining, selecting, and evaluating data, follow the general principles (Article II.) while respecting the specifics of their discipline. Actions that are incompatible with ethical principles in science include: fraud, forgery, plagiarism, falsification, distortion, intentional deception, and theft, in any stage of the scientific research process, from planning to publication of results.
• Be responsible for the accuracy and objectivity of the research they perform or directly coordinate and be aware of the limitations of the methods they use.
• When publishing knowledge and results on a particular issue, ensure their completeness and verifiability and interpret them accurately.
• After publication, retain primary data and documentation of all significant results for the usual period within their discipline, unless otherwise prevented by other obligations or regulations.
• Present the results of their research to the scientific community and carefully inform the general public, considering the current state of scientific knowledge.
• Do not discredit scientific procedures and respect other scientific opinions and the plurality of scientific disciplines.
• Respect intellectual property, not removing it from the workplace where it was created, and not devaluing it in any way.

Principles of Publishing Knowledge and Results

Person acting within NPI must:

• Be named as authors or co-authors of a publication if they contribute creatively to its creation, such as proposing studies or experiments, conducting them, analyzing, interpreting, processing data theoretically, or writing the publication. Their consent is necessary for co-authorship, and a leadership position at the institution does not automatically grant authorship.
• As editors or main authors of joint publications, respect the rights of co-authors (do not alter texts without their knowledge, take necessary steps to ensure the publication is released without undue delay, inform authors of partial studies if their text is not included).
• Place their research in the context of the current state of knowledge in the field and refer to previously published works following the rules of the discipline. When citing others' findings, they must reference the appropriate source.
• Cite significant works even if they are not in accordance with their own findings and conclusions. If they discover a major error in their published data, or are notified of such, they take appropriate steps, such as printing errata or correcting the publication, or retracting it.
• Do not unnecessarily split results into multiple publications to artificially increase their publication count.
• Do not intentionally use ethically questionable publishing platforms.
• Publish with the aim of sharing results and knowledge with the scientific community, not merely to report them as scientific outputs.
• Affiliation with the institution may only be used for publications that were at least partially produced in the context of their scientific activities at that institution. In other cases, the institution can be listed as a "present address" for authors currently employed there but who obtained the results at a different institution.
• Do not gain citations for their own work through strategic linking with co-authors in mutual, purposive citations.

Principles of Behavior Toward Collaborators

Person acting within NPI must:

• Accept collaborators in research based on an objective assessment of their intellectual and ethical characteristics.
• If leading a research team, ensure fairness and openness in communication, avoiding unnecessarily autocratic management methods, and preventing dishonest behavior caused by performance demands or professional competitiveness.
• Assess collaborators based on the results achieved and treat them fairly. Do not require activities beyond their responsibilities or set demands disproportionate to their capabilities and opportunities.
• Transfer knowledge, skills, and principles of good behavior in science to their collaborators both verbally and by personal example.
• Not discriminate against others, especially not based on race, ethnicity, nationality, language, ideology, religion, belief, worldview, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, social origin, or wealth.
• Do not engage in or support actions that harm the psychological or physical integrity of others (e.g., bullying, sexual harassment, or other forms of aggression).
• Do not abuse their senior position or professional authority for manipulative behavior, intimidation, or coercion. Foster independent, critical thinking and a responsible approach to work, respecting the right to freely express opinions on research.
• Support the professional growth of subordinate workers, their research and publication activity, and international contacts, and list them as co-authors if they contributed creatively to the work.
• Draw consequences from unethical behavior by collaborators.
• Support positive attitudes towards individuals with specific needs and improve conditions for their participation in the academic community.

Review, Evaluation, Opponency, and Expert Activities

Person acting within NPI must:

• Perform the assigned review or other evaluative activities personally.
• Protect the intellectual property of authors whose manuscripts, project proposals, or reports they are reviewing, and not use the data in these materials for purposes other than the preparation of expert assessments, nor disclose it to third parties.
• Not intentionally delay the review of evaluated work to gain personal benefits or benefits for third parties.
• Refuse to provide an expert opinion if its conclusions might be influenced by their personal interest or clearly disclose this fact and avoid any further conflicts of interest.
• Prepare expert opinions responsibly, based solely on their area of expertise, and not succumb to external pressures that could influence the content of the opinion.
• In evaluation and review procedures, rely on objective criteria, follow the rules of the assignment, and require the same from other participants.

Common Ethical Principles of NPI

The purpose of these common principles of the NPI ethical code is to supplement the ethical principles of the Code of Research Workers in the Czech Academy of Sciences.

1. Every person at NPI follows the laws of the Czech Republic, other legal regulations, and internal NPI regulations, including this Ethical Code. They avoid any criminal activity.
2. Respect for NPI and its good reputation is a priority. They are aware that the institute represents itself through its conduct.
3. Rejects discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, nationality, ideology, religious belief, faith, worldview, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, language, social background, or economic status. Upholds the principle of equal treatment and equal opportunities. Rejects any form of sexual harassment.
4. All individuals working at NPI, regardless of their position, reject any form of workplace bullying, such as bossing, mobbing, or staffing.
5. Experienced individuals working at NPI are aware of their special responsibility for the development of their workplace and the education or moral guidance of younger colleagues. They pay special attention to their role as managers, project coordinators, and similar positions, where leadership in ethical and moral aspects is expected in relation to professional activities.
6. Both material and financial resources entrusted for research are used by each person at NPI purposefully and efficiently. They are aware of their responsibility to society, their employer, and the providers whose resources they use.
7. Adheres to intellectual property protection principles, both in their own work and when handling others' creations, and ensures proper affiliation of scientific results, following the applicable Directive on the protection of intellectual property rights arising in connection with NPI’s activities and its employees.
8. Does not publish in an ethically questionable manner. Does not appropriate others' results and avoids plagiarism.
9. When leading a research team, ensures correctness and openness in communication with team members and avoids autocratic management methods. Prevents performance demands and professional competitiveness from leading to dishonest conduct.
10. All individuals at NPI support women in science, encourage their career advancement, and remove barriers to career growth.
11. In the case of scientific symposia, discussion panels, and seminars at NPI, equal conditions are set for speakers and presenters.

Any potential breach of the principles of proper conduct set out in the NPI’s Code of Ethics and the Czech Academy of Science Code of Ethics, as well as any conduct not covered by the Code, shall be dealt with as follows:

1. At the NPI workplace level

Every complaint should, where possible, be addressed directly at the workplace, at the organisational level immediately above the one at which the issue arose (e.g. direct line supervisor, department management or institute management).

An ad hoc committee may be appointed to discuss a specific complaint if necessary. This procedure is particularly suitable for cases that can be resolved internally and where there is a realistic possibility of an amicable or organisational solution.

2. Contacting the Ethics Committee or the Ombudsman of the Nuclear Physics Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences

If the complainant does not consider a direct resolution at the workplace to be possible or safe, or if the matter is sensitive, personal or recurring, they may contact:

• any member of the Ethics Committee of the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, or
• the Ombudsman of the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, who provides independent, confidential and informal advice, helps to assess the situation and suggests how to proceed.

The Ombudsman is a suitable point of contact particularly if the complainant is unsure where to turn or needs to discuss the matter first without obligation. The Ombudsman has the same powers and options to resolve the matter as the Ethics Committee.

3. Contacting the Ombudsman of the Czech Academy of Sciences or the Commission for Research Ethics of the Czech Academy of Sciences

If the resolution of a complaint goes beyond the scope of the NPI workplace, or if the parties to the dispute are not satisfied with the conclusions reached at the institute level, or if they do not feel confident in contacting internal bodies, it is possible to contact the Ombudsman of the CAS, who acts as an independent mediator in ethically complex situations across the entire CAS. In the event of a breach of the ethical principles of scientific work, it is possible to contact the Commission for the Ethics of Scientific Work of the CAS. 

Proceedings take place in cooperation with all parties involved, whilst ensuring the highest possible level of privacy.

The conclusions of the proceedings must be communicated to all parties involved and must include remedial measures if a breach is found.

Common Values and Vision of NPI

At NPI, we believe that people are free and equal in dignity and rights. This belief aligns with the values by which the institute, as an employer, operates, as well as the "corporate" culture being developed. The following vision of NPI forms the fundamental cornerstone of the corporate culture and sets the basic direction for the institute.

Vision of NPI:

• NPI aims to contribute to scientific knowledge and be a significant institution in the fields of nuclear physics, particle physics, and applied nuclear and particle physics within the Czech Republic, while also being an established institute internationally.
• NPI supports new generations of scientists and the education of students, among other things, by offering scientific opportunities internationally and developing wide collaboration with universities.
• NPI strives to create an internal corporate culture and significance in the international scientific community to enhance the attractiveness of the workplace and recruit new scientific staff.
• At the same time, it aims to strengthen internal communication between senior staff and employees so that they can participate in solving problems at NPI, with the possibility of transparently addressing workplace issues.
• NPI aims to achieve the highest possible employee satisfaction, quality equal working conditions, adequate employee care, and internal communication through the management of personnel processes across the entire institute.

Common values are the essence of corporate culture. Corporate culture is an important part of the identity and good reputation of NPI. We perceive common values in:

• Equal opportunities
• Justice and objectivity
• Balancing work and family life
• Hard work
• Safe environment
• Openness
• Loyalty
• Stability/job security
• Mutual support
• Solidarity