Memorandum on Ethics Survey Results |
This morning, the NIH Institute and Center Directors were briefed on the results of the survey to assess current NIH employees' views on the impact of the new ethics rules. I want to share the results of the survey conducted by an independent research firm with the entire NIH staff. It is the first step in a three-step process to assess the impact of the new regulations on the agency, especially on recruitment and retention. The next two steps of the process will include a survey of individuals who recently left NIH employment, to determine the role, if any, of the ethics regulations in their decision to leave the agency. We also will survey potential employees to determine if the new regulations might influence their decision to work for the NIH in the future. The results of the survey of current NIH employees are posted at the
Conflict of Interest (COI) Web site: Major findings from the study included:
Although the survey does suggest concerns about the impact of the regulations on recruitment and retention, at this time we do not anticipate revisions in the regulations. We do, however, plan to proceed with the next two stages of the evaluation process. Of note, while these results are consistent with anecdotal evidence of a possible impact of the regulations on recruitment and retention, human resources data from 2005 indicate there has not been a change in the rate of resignations or retirements among NIH scientists over the last several years. We are exploring additional analyses of the retention data. An important finding from the survey was that the NIH needs to do a better job of making forms more accessible and easier to use. Although most of the respondents (92.3%) who completed the ethics training found it to be "at least somewhat helpful," the data also show that we need to strengthen our training program. We are addressing that need immediately. I want to thank the entire NIH community for your attention to these significant issues and for your help in addressing them. Sincerely, |
This page was last reviewed on October 26, 2006 . |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |