Happy Holidays from the Office of Research Integrity! Back in October, ORI released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). This online document proposes change to the PHS Research-Misconduct regulation, which was last updated in 2005. The NPRM has significant implications for publicly funded biomedical and behavioral health research—and that’s why public input on the NPRM is essential. Recently, the deadline to comment was extended to January 4, 2024. Check out ORI Director Sheila Garrity’s video about the extension and how to comment here.

So, in between sledding, roasting chestnuts on an open fire—or escaping to a sunny beach—take a break and submit your comments on the NPRM.  We want to hear from you!

ORI is committed to making any updates to the regulation as useful as possible for the research community and the general public. So it is absolutely essential that all our community members —institutions, organizations, professional societies, and individuals alike — have the opportunity to comment on these proposed changes. We want to hear from you about what ORI should retain, revise, and remove in the NPRM as we work to prepare the new Final Rule. No detail is too small. 

We encourage everyone in the PHS-funded research community to comment not just through their institutions and professional societies, but as individuals, as well. Don’t be afraid to send multiple comments. And comments can be made anonymously, if you prefer.

Again, click here to look at the NPRM and hit the “comment” button at the top of the screen to ensure your voice is heard. Again, the comment period closes on January 4th, 2024.