I am writing to reinforce the responses of those who indicated that they
don't take lightly the issues raised by Sally Eckert-Tilotta.  As we are so
often reminded by the Public Health Service's Office of Research Integrity
(ORI), the "Responsibilities of...Awardee Institutions for the Responsible
Conduct of Research" include explicit stipulations regarding
issues/allegations for which our institutions SHALL be held accountable
when we accept PHS (and other agency) funding.

The kicker is that we - i.e., we Research Administrators and other
institutional representatives who "sign off" on proposals - shall be
equally liable for scientific misconduct or ethical impropriety in the
proposals we submit; whether or not they are funded.  It only took one ORI
report on "Findings of Scientific Misconduct" to convince me that the
potential for disaster can be found in virtually any activity associated
with both federally funded research and applications/proposals for
federally funded research.

Here's just one of many ORI Reports worth quoting:  "Notice is hereby given
that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has made final findings of
scientific misconduct in the following cases: (1) ...based on an
investigation conducted by X University, ORI found that XY, Ph.D. committed
scientific misconduct by submitting a false letter of collaboration in an
unfunded application to the Public Health Service (PHS).  Letters of
collaboration are a significant factor in the evaluation of applications.
...  (2) ORI found that YX, Ph.D., Y University, committed scientific
misconduct by falsifying three letters of recommendation submitted with and
in support of a FIRST Award application to the Public Health Service
(PHS)."  [NIH GUIDE, Vol. 25, No. 1, January 26, 1996; P. T. 34]

Happy Tax Day (a.k.a. Cover-Your-Accountability Day)!

Howie Kaplan

At 08:16 AM 4/15/1999 -0600, you wrote:
>We're having a debate here as to the responsibilities of a research
>administrator.  I would appreciate input from the list.
>
>Collaborative proposals get submitted involving a number of faculty/research
>staff across various colleges and centers (but within the institution).
We ask
>for signatures from the PI, dept chairs, and the corresponding dean of the
>college, and we try to get signatures from co-I (s) and corresponding dean(s)
>(cooperation is spotty in some cases).  However, these proposals list
>collaborators from the institution that are not co-I (s) and therefore
there is
>no indication that they have agreed to participate.
>
>We have had a group submit proposals naming collaborators who I found were
>unaware of the existance of the proposal.  While technical discussions had
>previously taken place, no definite commitment had been made.
>
>A situation has come up in which investigators (who I was under the
impression
>were not going to participate) are listed as collaborators on a proposal from
>that same group.  Some in our office have said that it isn't our job to
question
>or confirm participants.  We have to believe those persons submitting the
>proposal.
>
>With that long intro, my questions are:
>
>What are the practices at your institution on this?
>Do you agree that it isn't our job?
>Is it no big deal?
>
>
>***************************************************
>Sally Eckert-Tilotta, PhD, Assistant to the Director
>Office of Research and Program Development
>University of North Dakota
>Grand Forks, ND  58202
>email:  xxxxxx@mail.und.nodak.edu
>tel:  701-777-2049
>fax: 701-777-2504
>
>
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