Aren't there 2 issues here?  Professional Ethics of a writer vs.
accountability of an organization?

As a person who often writes grants, I am bound to my professional ethics
and could be liable IF the following remain unbeknownst to the institution
and are intentional (i.e.):

plagerism:  taking language from previously public works (including speeches)

intentional misrepresentation of facts:  making up data (such as literature
citations)

conflict of interest:  writing a grant for 2 different organizations to the
same funding agency, AND having a bias for 1 that can be proven (such as
being on the board or being a employable by the grant, if funded)

IF the institution that I am writing the grant for KNOWS about the above
and WILLINGLY (signs off) approves the proposal for submission (and this
can be proven, by signature or otherwise) then I would be "OFF THE HOOK,
EH"  (grin here)...

Lisa Ballance

At 08:08 AM 4/24/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Interesting issue.  When I write a proposal with or for someone else, they at
>least buy into the ideas and procedures which are going into the
proposal--more
>often, a group (including me) will invent the details and I simply write them
>down in the most persuasive manner.  But, in any case, when it leaves campus
>over the signature of the PI, it is his/her responsibility.  He/she gets the
>credit, he/she gets to run the project when it's funded.
>
>But legally, it's a proposal submitted by the institution and the institution
>gets whatever accrues as a result--dollars, responsibility to perform as
>promised, credit for a wonderful job, blame if it's botched, and legal
>liability if somebody really screws up.
>
>When a corporation issues a report--Arthur Anderson, for instance, or a CPA
>firm, or an environmental consultant--it comes from the corporation.  One
>person may present it to the client, but all credit/blame falls on the
>corporation as an entity.  The individual who actually put the thing together
>is never an issue, except perhaps internally in the corporation.  Seems to me
>that proposal-writing is similar.  When I write proposals for non-profits
as a
>consultant, which I occasionally do, the proposal is submitted by and
owned by
>the non-profit, the identity of the actual author is immaterial.
>
>Has anyone ever heard of a case where a proposal written by someone other
than
>the PI has led to a charge of misconduct, as Terry suggested might happen?
>
>Bill Campbell
>Director, Grants & Research
>University of Wisconsin-River Falls
>
>
_____________________________________________
Lisa R. Ballance, Director
Corporate and Foundation Relations
101 Maryland Hall
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA 23173

(804) 289-8445
(804) 289-8943
xxxxxx@richmond.edu
http://www.richmond.edu