About the Institute

What is the role of the Ombudsperson?

An Ombudsperson provides confidential, neutral, independent and informal assistance and advice to all staff that have concerns arising from or affecting their work at IMB.
An Ombudsperson can be approached by all members of IMB’s staff. By creating this role, IMB follows DFG recommendations set up to safeguard good scientific practice.

When should an Ombudsperson be contacted?

An Ombudsperson can be approached in any serious cases of conflict. These could, for example, include cases of suspected scientific misconduct, harassment / bullying and serious shortcomings of working conditions at IMB.
We would generally encourage all staff to firstly try to resolve conflicts by discussing them directly with the persons involved. An Ombudsperson should only be contacted in severe cases of conflict where the people involved no longer feel able to resolve matters between each other.
An Ombudsperson can be contacted either by the persons directly involved or by third parties who have concerns over situations of conflict or suspected scientific malpractice.

What can an Ombudsperson do for you?

An Ombudsperson will receive your concerns in confidence and provide impartial advice. If appropriate and agreed, they may also facilitate dialogue between the parties concerned with the aim of resolving the issue. Additionally, where necessary and if agreed, they may also refer issues to appropriate persons and committees who are qualified to investigate complex issues, for example cases of scientific misconduct.

Guiding principles of Ombudspersons

Independence: Ombudspersons act independently of their other roles and functions within the institution and will remain neutral throughout the consultation process. Specifically, they are under no obligation to, and will not, disclose matters discussed in confidence to the institution's Management.

Confidentiality: All matters raised with an Ombudsperson remain strictly confidential and will not be shared with third parties. They will only disclose an individual’s name or specific issue to third parties if, during the course of the discussions with them, they are given explicit permission to do so for the purpose of informal conflict resolution. This guarantee of confidentiality will also remain intact after an issue has been resolved.

Fairness: An Ombudsperson will consider the perspectives of all parties concerned and provide impartial advice to all sides. Their task is to resolve situations of conflict without taking any particular side in the process.

Transparency: Before taking any action or disclosing any of the information received, an Ombudsperson will discuss with you all actions they suggest taking as well as which information they would pass on to whom. They will not undertake anything without your explicit consent.