Research Integrity and Compliance

Research Misconduct

Trish Brock, Research Integrity Officer & Director, Research Integrity & Compliance, Division of Research

All allegations of scientific fraud and other research misconduct should be reported only to the Research Integrity Official or via official whistle-blower reporting mechanisms available via relevant state and federal agencies.  Cal Poly carefully reviews allegations of misconduct, but such investigations are conducted confidentially to ensure the integrity of the investigation. 

It is also important to remember that not all investigations are substantiated by sufficient evidence to warrant action, and therefore allegations should not be disseminated beyond the Research Integrity Officials on campus and/or relevant state or federal whistleblower reporting.

Cal Poly's Research Integrity Official (RIO) may be contacted via email for formal allegations or via phone or meeting with questions related to this topic that are not formal allegations.

If you would like to report a concern or allegation in writing, you can complete a reporting form, which will be received by Trish Brock, and will be anonymous unless you elect to provide your name and contact information.

Please see the Scientific Fraud Policy at Cal Poly or visit the Research Misconduct pages on our website for additional information.

Human Subjects

Research Integrity & Compliance staff support the activities of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), that reviews all human subjects research at Cal Poly.  Please note that the IRB reviews all protocols, including those that are "exempt" from portions of the federal regulations and those that are not supported by external funding.

Please see the Human Subjects Research at Cal Poly website for more information.

If you have a concern related to the conduct of human subjects research at Cal Poly, please report it via this form.  The form will be reviewed by the Director of Research Integrity and Compliance and will be anonymous unless you provide your name or email.

Animal Subjects

Research Integrity & Compliance staff support the activities of the Institutional Animal Cate and Use Committee (IACUC), that reviews all animal subjects research at Cal Poly.

Please see the Regulations, Policies, and Standards for the Care and Use of Animal Subjects in Teaching and Research website for more information.

To report a concern about animal subjects research on Cal Poly's campus, please use this form.  You may report anonymously if that is your preference.  Reports will be reviewed by the Director of Research Integrity.  You may also contact the committee Chair or veterinarian with complaints.

Research Security & Export Control

Export control laws impact items, documents, data, know-how, and other technical things Cal Poly faculty, staff, and students may provide to non-US persons.  The regulations relate to items/information with military purposes, but that definition encompasses more technology than might  might think.  Penalties for individuals and institutions can be severe, and our goal is to help protect you from those penalties.  Some items/information that are widely in the public domain are not impacted, but if you have any questions, contact the team.

Research Security is an emerging term in the compliance world.  Federal funding agencies, particularly National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and Department of Energy, have become more concerned since 2015 about the impact of foreign government activities on collaborative science They have identified issues related to the peer review process and situations where the government believes US funding has been diverted to support research and IP development in other countries.

Please see the Research Security and Export Control website for additional information.
 

Conflict of Interest in Research

Both the United States Government and the State of California have regulations in place to identify and respond to potential conflicts of interest related to research activities.

Please see the Conflict of Interest in Research website for additional information.