On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services published new policies on research misconduct, which apply to research institutions receiving funding through the U.S. Public Health Service. The policies set standards that institutions must follow when investigating and potentially sanctioning researchers alleged to have engaged in research misconduct. Some of the significant changes include: streamlining the process for expanding inquiries to new leads, granting institutions 90 days to carry out inquiries instead of the previous 60, giving institutions discretion on when they require publications to be corrected, and establishing a clearer process for administering appeals.
HHS says they updated the policies partly in response to “growing public concerns about research integrity” as well as questions institutions have had about how to pursue allegations of research misconduct.