The Muséum's Ethics Advisory Committee
The Comité consultatif d'éthique (CCE) is the Muséum's Ethics advisory commitee. It was created in 2017 by resolution no. 2017/27 of the Board of Directors of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle and deals with the ethical issues referred to it. It can also take up ethical issues on its own initiative if deemed relevant to the Muséum.
A cross-disciplinary, strategic role
What does the Ethics Advisory Committee do?
The Ethics Advisory Committee is independent and has a consultative role.
Every quarter it meets in plenary session to address ethical issues relating to all the activities and missions of the Muséum.
It appoints working groups which meet outside the sessions to address the themes selected in plenary. These working groups make recommendations which are discussed and validated in session.
The committee then issues recommendations on the ethical issues it takes up.
What the committee does not do:
- It has no operational role.
- It does not address personal matters.
- It does not grant accreditation to research projects.
Ethics, secularism, equality, scientific integrity, sexual and sexist violence, and animal welfare liaisons can be consulted for personal and specific questions (see below). There is also an Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee (CEEA Cuvier) which carries out ethical evaluations of research projects involving animals.
Who are the committee members?
The Muséum's Ethics Advisory Committee is composed of no fewer than eleven members (appointed persons); half of whom are internal to the establishment or hosted by it, and the other half external. Gender parity is respected.
It includes a chairperson and a vice-chairperson.
The scientific integrity liaison and the Muséum's ethics delegate are ex officio members without voting rights.
List of EAC members
President
Sophie GOEDEFROIT, Professor of Social Anthropology, Université Paris Cité. UMR 7324 - CITERES.
Vice-Chairman
Amélie VIALET, Paleoanthropologist. Senior lecturer, MNHN - UMR 7194 - UPVD.
Members
List of EAC members, status, affiliations and specialities
- BARRAT Jean-Alix, Professor, Université de Brest - Terrestrial and extraterrestrial geochemistry
- BARRIEL Véronique, Senior lecturer, MNHN - UMR 7207 / Origins and Evolution Department, Equality liaison for MNHN SSV for students & doctoral candidates - Systematics, teaching
- BEAU Rémi, Research fellow, CNRS, UMR 7618 / IEES PARIS Sorbonne Université - Philosophy, ecological transition
- BOURGEOIS Aude, Veterinary physician, Director, Ménagerie at the Jardin des Plantes - MNHN / DGDMJ - Veterinary medicine, live collections
- DEGEORGES Patrick, Vice-President, Institut des Hautes Etudes pour les pratiques et arts de transformation - Philosophy
- GOEDEFROIT Sophie, Professor, Université Paris Cité, UMR 7324 CITERES - Ethnology, anthropology, Asia, Indian Ocean
- KOHL Linda, Senior lecturer MNHN - UMR 7245 / Life Adaptation Department, MNHN - Parasitology
- MOUTOU François, Veterinary physician, epidemiologist, ANSES - Health, wildlife, One Health
- POUYDEBAT Emmanuelle, Research Director, CNRS - UMR 7179 / Life Adaptation Department, MNHN - Ethology, bio-inspiration, captive wildlife
- QUACH Hélène, Research engineer, CNRS - UMR 7206 / Humans and the Environment Department, MNHN - Génétique
- SARRAZIN François, Professor, Sorbonne Université SU - UMR 7204-CESCO/ Humans and the Environment, MNHN- Ecology, conservation
- VIALET Amélie, Senior lecturer, MNHN - UMR 7194 / Humans and the Environment, MNHN- Prehistory
Ex officio members
- Ethics delegate: Sabrina Krief, Veterinary physician, Professor MNHN
- Scientific integrity liaison: Franz Manni, Senior lecturer, MNHN
Reporting on recommendations and suggestions
The working groups appointed by the Muséum's Ethics Advisory Committee submit reports with their recommendations and suggestions to the committee members for adoption in plenary session and publication. The final opinions reflect the point of view of the committee members at the time of a report's publication. They are based on the documents consulted, interviews conducted and discussions held throughout the year or years of study needed to draft the reports. In addition, follow-ups to recommendations are made by sitting EAC members and/or experts on the subject in order to update the reports if needed.
Recommendations on proper conduct in the search for and display of human remains
Text prepared by Isabelle Bianquis, Sabrina Krief, Sophie-Justine Lieber. Ethics Advisory Committee of 15 April 2020. Download the report (in French)
Ethical implications of partnerships, sponsorships and the use of Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle
Text prepared by John Crowley, Michel Saint-Jalme, Laure Bonnaud-Ponticelli. Ethics Advisory Committee of 23 March 2021. Download the report (in French)
Research involving animals at the Muséum - EAC recommendations
Text prepared by: Philippe Keith, François Moutou, François Sarrazin, Aline Treillard, Cécile Vaullerin. Ethics Advisory Committee of 5 juillet 2022. Download the report (in French)
Working Groups In Progress
- Ethics in the field
- Crisis communication
- Biomimetics and bioinspiration
- Animal welfare and rat control practices
Muséum ethics liaisons
Ethics, secularity and whistleblowing liaison
Hervé Courtil
Scientific integrity liaison
Franz Manni
Sexual and sexist violence, equality liaison
Véronique Barriel
Veterinary liaison
Jean-Marie Helies
Head, CITES scientific authority, France
Arnaud Horellou
Head, NAGOYA Unit
Vanessa Demanoff
Head, Sustainable development
Olivier Penaud