I believe Howie's case-studies just about sum it up... For our records, Howie, care to give more detailed reference. Perhaps Sally could use it to scare a little honesty into her wayward investigators. I'd also like to have it in my little arsenal of training back-up documents. -Jennifer Jennifer Morgan, M.H.A. Director, Office of Grants and Contracts Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health Systems 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh PA 15213 Voice: 412-624-0743 Fax: 412-624-0714 > -----Original Message----- > From: Howard M. Kaplan [mailto:xxxxxx@GASOU.EDU] > Sent: Thursday, April 15, 1999 12:57 PM > To: xxxxxx@hrinet.org > Subject: Re: Job of a research administrator > > > 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 > > > > > >============================================================= > ========= > > Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including > > subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available > > via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on > "Listserv Lists") > >============================================================= > ========= > > > > > ====================================================================== > Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including > subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available > via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists") > ====================================================================== > ====================================================================== Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists") ======================================================================
