RETTE – UiB's Project Overview

The vast majority of research and student projects can be registered directly in RETTE. Health research projects that require research ethics approval from REK must first apply to REK, after which the projects are imported into RETTE.

Projects that directly include participants in studies — provided that the project is conducted in accordance with research ethics norms and guidelines, that participants’ interests are safeguarded through research-ethical informed consent, and that UiB’s guidelines for the processing of data are followed — can usually be registered directly in RETTE. It is the institution’s responsibility to assess whether the purpose, methodology, inclusion of participants, and protection of their privacy — including information and consent — comply with recognized research ethics norms and guidelines.

Certain projects, where the processing of personal data entails a higher privacy risk, are subject to a consultation obligation with the Data Protection Officer (Personal Data Act §§ 9 & 10). This typically applies to projects involving secondary use of personal data, where the processing under data protection legislation is considered to involve a higher risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms. It is specified that the consultation obligation applies only to the processing of personal data, and not to assessments covered by research ethics evaluation. Projects subject to consultation must consult the institution’s Data Protection Officer before processing can begin. During the consultation, it must be assessed whether it is necessary to carry out a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA).

• Projects that qualify for consultation must contact UiB’s Data Protection Officer directly.
• Health research projects must first apply to REK. Approved health research projects are then transferred into RETTE, and the researcher will be notified to provide supplementary information there.
• Projects that require exemption from the duty of confidentiality must first apply to REK and follow the procedure in RETTE.
• Non-consultation student and research projects proceed to the RETTE login page, create the project, and register the project information.
• Electronic surveys conducted anonymously are not covered by data protection legislation and do not need to be registered in RETTE. However, if personal data including contact information is collected for the purpose of drawing a prize winner — not linked to the survey responses — or for providing feedback on the project results, the project must be registered in RETTE with this information.

Health research projects approved by REK

All approved health research projects are transferred into RETTE from the REK portal, and you will be notified to supplement the information in order to meet documentation requirements under data protection legislation.

Anyone who processes personal data for purposes related to research, education, teaching, or quality assurance, whether you are a doctoral candidate, student, or employee, must register their project in RETTE.

The obligation to maintain overview and control of all processing activities involving personal data follows from Article 30 of the Personal Data Act (GDPR).

(Read the full Personal Data Act at lovdata.no.)

Research projects that process special categories of personal data are, as a general rule, subject to consultation with the Data Protection Officer pursuant to §§ 9 and 10 of the Personal Data Act.

Note that the consultation obligation applies to both consent-based research and non-consent-based research projects.

Non-consent-based projects must be clarified with UiB’s Data Protection Officer to assess whether the project requires a DPIA. A DPIA is mandatory for research projects that process special categories of personal data without consent, unless a DPIA has already been carried out previously for the same purpose or in connection with establishing a legal basis, for example the establishment of a health registry.

Some projects may be registered directly in RETTE without prior consultation with the Data Protection Officer, under certain conditions.

This includes research projects that process ordinary (non-special category) personal data and do not involve vulnerable groups, such as children, as well as the following types of projects that are not defined as research:

• projects or student assignments conducted as part of methodology teaching
• quality assurance projects

A condition is that students have completed instruction in research ethics and data protection as part of methodology teaching, and that processing occurs under the responsibility of a supervisor or course coordinator.

Health research projects with prior ethical approval from REK are exempt from consultation with the Data Protection Officer pursuant to § 33, third paragraph, of the Health Research Act.

Processing of personal data in health research projects is regulated by the GDPR, and the processing must have a legal basis under Articles 6 and 9 of the Personal Data Act.

RETTE assists you with this, as well as documentation of other requirements, such as ensuring information security.

In addition, there is a general requirement to assess privacy risks and seek advice from the institution’s Data Protection Officer regarding whether the project requires a DPIA.

The former notification obligation and license requirement under previous legislation have been abolished with the GDPR.

Instead, there is a consultation obligation for the processing of special categories of personal data, previously referred to as “sensitive” personal data, in research.

Medical and health research covered by the Health Research Act requires prior ethical approval from REK. If you process health data without consent, you need a formal decision granting exemption from the duty of confidentiality from REK. If you process other confidential information without consent, you need a decision granting exemption from the duty of confidentiality from, for example, the relevant authority or the data controller institution.

Correct registration in RETTE depends on you providing accurate information about which personal data you will process and the purpose of the processing. It is therefore important that you familiarize yourself thoroughly with the relevant definitions and terminology.

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