Section 93.300 - [Effective 1/1/2025] General responsibilities for complianceInstitutions must:
(a) Have written policies and procedures for addressing allegations of research misconduct that meet the requirements of this part;(b) Respond to each allegation of research misconduct for which the institution is responsible under this part in a thorough, competent, objective, and fair manner, including taking precautions to ensure that individuals responsible for carrying out any part of the research misconduct proceeding do not have unresolved personal, professional, or financial conflicts of interest with the complainant, respondent, or witnesses;(c) Foster a research environment that promotes research integrity and the responsible conduct of research, discourages research misconduct, and deals promptly with allegations or evidence of possible research misconduct;(d) Take all reasonable and practical steps to protect the positions and reputations of good faith complainants, witnesses, and committee members and to protect these individuals from retaliation by respondents and/or other institutional members;(e) Provide confidentiality consistent with § 93.106 to all respondents, complainants, and witnesses in a research misconduct proceeding, and to research subjects identifiable from research records or other evidence;(f) Take all reasonable and practical steps to ensure the cooperation of respondents and other institutional members with research misconduct proceedings, including, but not limited to, their providing information, research records, and other evidence;(g) Cooperate with HHS during any research misconduct proceeding or compliance review, including addressing deficiencies or additional allegations in the institutional record if directed by ORI;(h) Assist in administering and enforcing any HHS administrative actions imposed on its institutional members; and(i) Have an active research integrity assurance.