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Institutions push back on scientific misconduct rules
Investigating scientific research misconduct is necessarily a heavy lift for universities and other institutions. Many are now saying that proposed changes from the U.S. Office of Research Integrity could force them to lose their independence in reviewing misconduct allegations.
The updated polices and procedures, estimated to take a combined 95,000 hours and $10 million to implement, include a new 30-day turnaround time for institutions to conduct an initial assessment of an allegation. “Rushing this process may result in hasty conclusions and potential miscarriages of justice,” Purdue University wrote in public comments on the regulations portal. Noted scientific integrity expert Elizabeth Bik also warns that a vaguely worded proposal allowing the identities of whistleblowers to be disclosed to those who “need to know” could discourage people from coming forward with concerns. STAT’s Annalisa Merelli has more on the back-and-forth.
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