Research Misconduct

The National Institutes of Health is a world leader in innovation and cutting-edge research in biomedical science. Our researchers do their work ethically and with integrity. One component of the responsible conduct of research is to report to appropriate channels when researchers see something that may be problematic in the intramural program. The Agency Intramural Research Integrity Officer (AIRIO) in the Office of the Director (OD) receives all allegations of research misconduct in research conducted in the intramural program and oversees their resolution. As an agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), NIH follows the Public Health Service (PHS) Policies on Research Misconduct 42 CFR Part 93. According to federal regulations, research misconduct is defined as: fabrication, falsification or plagiarism in proposing, performing or reviewing research, or in reporting research results and does not include honest error or differences of opinion. You can find more information about misconduct polices and processes in the Investigation of Allegations of Research Misconduct section of the NIH Sourcebook.

Research misconduct allegations can be made by using one of the following methods:

Report Research Misconduct

Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent that it is possible; you may also get initial assistance by posing a “hypothetical scenario” but not mentioning any specific information. Complainants may also choose to remain anonymous. Federal law protects whistleblowers from retaliation.

The office of the AIRIO also oversees the resolution of authorship disputes.

Additional questions and concerns regarding research misconduct or authorship disputes should be directed to either:

This page was last updated on Thursday, September 12, 2024