April 2026

The Research Integrity Concordat Signatories (RICS) group met in April 2026 for their quarterly meeting. 

The signatories agreed to discuss the definition of research misconduct as set out in the refreshed Concordat to ensure that it is as clear as possible for the sector to use.

The signatories also discussed the development of the template and guidance to support organisations in producing an annual statement on research integrity. Noting significant interest, the signatories decided to delay the publication of the revised template to consider further feedback.

February 2026

The RICS group met in February for a half day in-person workshop, kindly hosted by Wellcome.

Feedback from the sector indicated that the refreshed Concordat had been positively received, with many research performing organisations undertaking policy reviews to align with the new Concordat.

The subgroup working on the development of the annual statement reporting template had been making good progress. It was agreed that template use would be encouraged by all members to provide more consistent reporting.

Finally, there was a substantive discussion item on the governance and operating model for the signatories group, in the context of wider changes in the international and UK research integrity landscape. The signatories noted the current work of the UK Committee on Research Integrity to develop future models for national research integrity governance and discussed how research integrity in the UK could be best supported.

November 2025

At the November meeting, the RICS group focused on refining its terms of reference which were approved and are now available on the website.

As part of the review of the terms of reference, the RICS group has been considering the governance and structure of the signatories group and is exploring the best approach to activities including the annual report and the annual forum. The RICS group discussed work ongoing in the sector that intersects with its work looking at the governance framework for the Concordat.

A refresh is under way of the annual statement template for use by institutions to report on their integrity work. Initially, the subgroup leading this work is seeking feedback from those institutions that have not used the template previously. This information will be used to inform the design of the new template. The template will be launched in April 2026 to enable its use at the same time as the 2025 Concordat comes into effect.

September 2025

September saw the second meeting of the RICS group since the launch of the refreshed concordat. Discussions focused on governance, including draft documents for the terms of reference, operating model, and declarations of interest. It was agreed that a subgroup of the RICS group would review the template for annual statements on research integrity, and revise it if appropriate.

The group will reconvene in November for its final meeting of 2025. At that session, it is expected to agree and adopt the revised terms of reference in line with its timeline to finalise these by 31st December 2025.

May 2025

In May, the RICS group convened for their first formal meeting since the launch of the refreshed concordat in April. The group discussed the positive feedback received so far and plans to produce alternative formats of tables and infographics to enhance accessibility and their usefulness for training and planning.

Over the next year, the RICS group will refresh their governance framework, including their terms of reference, future operating model, and other processes. They will also review the annual statement template and develop plans for the next annual forum meeting. The group will reconvene in September, and another meeting summary will be shared with the community.