II. Definitions

1. Allegation means any written or oral statement or other indication of possible research misconduct made to an institutional official.
2. Conflict of interest means the real or apparent interference of one person's interests with the interests of another person, where potential bias may occur due to prior or existing personal or professional relationships.
3. Deciding Official means the institutional official who makes final determinations on allegations of research misconduct and any responsive institutional actions. The Deciding Official will not be the same individual as the Research Integrity Officer and should have no direct prior involvement in the institution's inquiry, investigation, or allegation assessment.
4. Good faith allegation means an allegation made with the honest belief that research misconduct may have occurred. An allegation is not in good faith if it is made with reckless disregard for or willful ignorance of facts that would disprove the allegation.
5. Inquiry means gathering information and initial fact-finding to determine whether an allegation or apparent instance of research misconduct warrants an investigation.ⁱ
6. Investigation means the formal examination and evaluation of all relevant facts to determine if misconduct has occurred and, if so, to determine the responsible person and the seriousness of the misconduct.ⁱⁱ
7. ORI means the Office of Research Integrity, the office within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that is responsible for the research misconduct and research integrity activities of the U.S. Public Health Service.
8. PHS means the U.S. Public Health Service, an operating component of the DHHS.
9. PHS regulation means the Public Health Service regulation establishing standards for institutional inquiries and investigations into allegations of scientific misconduct, which is set forth at 42 C.F.R. Part 50, Subpart A, entitled "Responsibility of PHS Awardee and Applicant Institutions for Dealing With and Reporting Possible Misconduct in Science."
10. Research Integrity Officer means the institutional official responsible for assessing allegations of research misconduct and determining when such allegations warrant inquiries and for overseeing inquiries and investigations. At Centre, this person is the Academic Dean.
11. Research record means any data, document, computer file, jump drive, or any other written or non-written account or object that reasonably may be expected to provide evidence or information regarding the proposed, conducted, or reported research that constitutes the subject of an allegation of research misconduct. A research record includes but is not limited to grant or contract applications, whether funded or unfunded; grant or contract progress and other reports; laboratory notebooks; notes; correspondence; videos; photographs; X-ray film; slides; biological materials; computer files and printouts; manuscripts and publications; equipment use logs; laboratory procurement records; animal facility records; human and animal subject protocols; consent forms; medical charts; and patient research files.
12. Respondent means the person against whom an allegation of research misconduct is directed or the person whose actions are the subject of the inquiry or investigation. There can be more than one respondent in any inquiry or investigation.
13. Retaliation means any action that adversely affects the employment or other institutional status of an individual that has in good faith made an allegation of research misconduct. Retaliation can originate from an individual or from the institution and can include inadequate responses to protect those making allegations in good faith or those cooperating with inquiries or investigations.
14. Research misconduct or misconduct in research means fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or other practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the academic and professional community for proposing, conducting, or reporting research. It does not include honest errors or honest differences in interpretations or judgments of data.ⁱⁱⁱ
15. Whistleblower means a person who makes an allegation of research misconduct.