German Reference Centre for Ethics in the Life Sciences (DRZE)
The DRZE is a national documentation and information centre for the entire field of ethics in the biomedical sciences in Germany. [ more ]
Zu den Prinzipien der Bioethik
Ausgewählte Texte zu einem modernen Klassiker
Dirk Lanzerath / Marius Bartmann / Aurélie Halsband / Niklas Kurzböck (eds.)
How can the bioethical principles of Beauchamp and Childress provide normative guidance? This collection of texts brings together relevant philosophical contributions on the foundations, principles, cultural context, and application of principlism, both within and beyond biomedicine. The edition assembles texts translated into German for the first time, newly written contributions, and selected reprints, opening up new perspectives on principlism for German-language discourse.
Complementing the translation of this modern bioethics classic, the DRZE thus presents a companion volume for the discussion of principlism in science, teaching, and practice.
Workshop:
Normativity of AI
On 28 and 29 July 2026, the workshop on the normativity of AI systems will use presentations and critical discussions to foster a better understanding of what the normativity of AI is, what it is not, and why these distinctions are significant for both philosophy and society.
Dolly’s Legacy: Between Healing and Hubris
Thirty years ago, Dolly the sheep was born – the world’s first cloned mammal. In this arte documentary, Aurélie Halsband explores key ethical issues surrounding the use of cloning in research and medicine.
The Ethics of Neurotechnologies
In the latest episode of "Ethics in Mind", Dilara Diegelmann from the Forschungszentrum Jülich interviews Dirk Lanzerath about neuroethics in transition. The discussion covers the risks, opportunities and ethical implications of steadily evolving neurotechnologies, among other things.
My friend, the chatbot? Ethical aspects regarding the use of AI to combat loneliness
The fourteenth edition of the DRZE Journal Club critically examines the ethical implications of using AI chatbots to combat loneliness.
New publication: AI in Radiological Diagnostics
Expert Report 29 has been published (in German language), addressing the medical, psychological, legal, and ethical aspects of artificial intelligence in radiological diagnostics. It features contributions by Roman Wagner, Julian Caspers, Simon Eickhoff, Robert Langner, Michael Steinborn, Sara Dokmanac, and Joana Günther.
The DRZE is a Central Research Institute of the University of Excellence in Bonn. Upon the discontinuation of the BMBF’s funding of the project ‘Ethics in the Life Sciences’, the DRZE applied to be part of the ‘Akademienprogramm’. The project was admitted into the research programme of the German Scientific Academies on 1 January 2004, as a research project of the Project of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts.
It has the task:
- to scientifically elaborate the normative foundations of qualified judgement formation and to make them available in various formats;
- to prepare and make available information from a wide variety of fields on the current bioethical discussion in science, society and politics;
- to promote scientific networking and thus advance the German, European and international discourse.
In Focus
The short information In Focus enables interested non-specialists in particular to get a quick overview of the debate on a current bioethical topic.
Healthcare Data in Research
Imaging in Neuroscience
Expert Reports
The aim of the series Ethics in the Life Sciences - DRZE Expert Reports is to prepare ethical problem areas from the field of the life sciences in a scientifically sound manner for interdisciplinary and societal discourse by comprehensively presenting the respective state of research and discussion.
KI in der radiologischen Diagnostik
Roman Wagner / Julian Caspers / Simon Eickhoff / Robert Langner / Michael Steinborn / Sara Dokmanac / Joana Günther
Ethics by Design
Julia Maria Mönig / Petra Grimm / Sebastian Bernhard / Hendrik Tenbrake / Julia Berg-Postweiler / Jennifer Bosen / Clara Lemke / Marie Mirsch / Charlotte Nolles / Calvin Röhl / Ann-Kristin Winkens / Carmen Leicht-Scholten
Third-party funded projects
RE4GREEN
The DRZE is coordinating an EU-funded project on climate and environmental ethics in research and innovation.
irecs
The DRZE is coordinating an EU-funded project on research ethics in the context of new and emerging technologies.
STRATEGIC
The DRZE is coordinating an EU-funded project on co-creating digital health technology design in sub-Saharan Africa.
PRACC
The DRZE is coordinating BMFTR-funded project on challenges of climate change in the context of intergenerational justice and freedom.
FRAIM
The DRZE is involved in a BMFTR-funded project developing an ethical framework for the use of AI in neuromedicine.