RBM Project Description

The policy establishes a federal definition for “Research misconduct” and basic procedural guidelines for dealing misconduct allegations.The policy was developed with intensive participation by the relevant federal agencies through an Interagency Working Group of the National Science and Technology Council. The December 6 announcement states that “Federal agencies that conduct or support research will implement this policy within one year.” (That is, by December 6, 2001).

Currently, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Labor have established policies or regulation. NASA received OMB approval for their its final rule on April 14, 2004, and forwarded the final package to the Administrator for signature.. The Department of Health and Human Services has published a notice of proposed rule making. Most of the remaining federal agencies report that policies have been drafted and reviewed at the staff level and are currently under review at the most senior levels of the agency.

OSTP's policy serves as guidance to the federal agencies and was accepted by the agencies as part of the review process prior to publication in the federal register; however, the federal policy does not have the force of an executive order or regulation. As noted in footnote 1 to the policy:

No rights privileges, benefits or obligations are created or abridged by issuance of this policy alone. The creation or abridgement of rights, privileges, benefits or obligations, if any, shall occur only upon implementation of this policy by the Federal agencies.

The Office of Science and Technology Policy does not have authority to issue regulations that bind other agencies. The policy becomes binding on an individual agency only after the agency adopts it by promulgating regulations or by other administrative procedures as authorized by law.

An informal working group was established under the NSTC Committee on Science to facilitate policy implementation. That working group last met on July 14, 2003 and has developed status reports on implementation on a quarterly basis.