This issue of JERHRE features themes of risk management at various levels within the research institution. At the institutional level, we see that many questions remain unanswered with regard to handling conflicts of interest, providing much opportunity for introspection about one's own institution. We also see that evaluation of IRB functioning is not uniform across sectors of the institution—another important area for examination of one's own institution. Within research on risky topics, we find that empirical data do not bear out intuition-based predictions of risk providing an important rationale for empirical explorations of one's own subjects' evaluation of their own reactions to the research experience. Finally we focus on some typically silent partners in the research process: Gatekeepers who are entrusted with some risk management responsibilities, and explore whether they fulfill their appointed roles adequately.