|
purchased under this Agreement shall be completed at least once every two (2) years and submitted to the
<br />Department's Grant Manager no later than January 31 st for each year this Agreement is in effect.
<br />NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA)-SPECIFIC
<br />26. Scientific Integrity, as established in the Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Alert 16-
<br />02 (January 13, 2016)
<br />The NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO) has established the following policy to provide appropriate
<br />protections for all NOAA grants, financial assistance awards, and cooperative agreements:
<br />a. Maintaining Integrity. The recipient shall maintain the scientific integrity of research performed pursuant to
<br />this grant or financial assistance award including the prevention, detection, and remediation of any allegations
<br />regarding the violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research misconduct, and the conduct of inquiries,
<br />investigations, and adjudications of allegations of violations of scientific integrity or scientific and research
<br />misconduct. All the requirements of this provision flow down to subrecipients.
<br />b. Peer Review. The peer review of the results of scientific activities under a NOAA grant, financial assistance
<br />award, or cooperative agreement shall be accomplished to ensure consistency with NOAA standards on quality,
<br />relevance, scientific integrity, reproducibility, transparency, and performance. NOAA will ensure that peer review of
<br />"influential scientific information" or "highly influential scientific assessments" is conducted in accordance with the
<br />Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review and NOAA policies
<br />on peer review, such as the Information Quality Guidelines.
<br />c. In performing or presenting the results of scientific activities under the NOAA grant, financial assistance
<br />award, or cooperative agreement and in responding to allegations regarding the violation of scientific integrity or
<br />scientific and research misconduct, the recipient and all subrecipients shall comply with the provisions herein and
<br />NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 202-735D, Scientific Integrity, and its Procedural Handbook, including any
<br />amendments thereto. That Order can be found at http://nrc.noaa.gov/ScientificIntegrityCommons.aspx.
<br />d. Primary Responsibility. The recipient shall have the primary responsibility to prevent, detect, and investigate
<br />allegations of a violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research misconduct. Unless otherwise instructed by
<br />the grants officer, the recipient shall promptly conduct an initial inquiry into any allegation of such misconduct and
<br />may rely on its internal policies and procedures, as appropriate, to do so.
<br />e. By executing this grant, financial assistance award, or cooperative agreement the recipient provides its
<br />assurance that it has established an administrative process for performing an inquiry, investigating, and reporting
<br />allegations of a violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research misconduct; and that it will comply with its
<br />own administrative process for performing an inquiry, investigation, and reporting of such misconduct.
<br />f. The recipient shall insert this provision in all subawards at all tiers under this grant, financial assistance
<br />award, or cooperative agreement.
<br />26. Investigating Scientific Integrity or Scientific and Research Misconduct
<br />a. Inhibiting Investigation. If the recipient or subrecipient determines that there is sufficient evidence to proceed to
<br />an investigation, it shall notify the grants office and, unless otherwise constructed, the recipient or subrecipient shall:
<br />i. Promptly conduct an investigation to develop a complete factual record and an examination of such record
<br />leading to either a finding regarding the violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research misconduct and an
<br />identification of appropriate remedies or a determination that no further action is warranted.
<br />ii. If the investigation leads to a finding regarding the violation of scientific integrity or scientific and research
<br />misconduct, obtain adjudication by a neutral third -party adjudicator. The adjudication must include a review of the
<br />investigative record and, as warranted, a determination of appropriate corrective actions and sanctions.
<br />b. Finalizing Investigation. When the investigation is complete, the recipient shall forward to the grants officer a
<br />copy of the evidentiary record, the investigative report, any recommendations made to the recipient adjudicating
<br />official, the adjudicating official's decision and notification of any corrective action taken or planned, and the subject's
<br />written response (if any).
<br />27. Findings and Corrective Actions
<br />If the recipient finds that scientific integrity has been violated or scientific and research misconduct has
<br />occurred, it shall assess the seriousness of the misconduct and its impact on the research completed or in process and
<br />shall:
<br />a. Take all necessary corrective actions, which includes, but are not limited to, correcting the research record, and,
<br />as appropriate, imposing restrictions, controls, or other parameters on research in process or to be conducted in the
<br />future, and
<br />b. Coordinate remedial action with the grants officer.
<br />Attachment 8
<br />Page 5 of 5
<br />Rev. 6/14/2019
<br />
|