9. Texas A&M Research Policies, Procedures, and Compliance

Texas A&M and the A&M System have promulgated rules and regulations pertaining to various issues involved in research, including project administration, proposal processing, intellectual property, qualifications of principal investigators, and other areas.
...........................................

A. Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarship

Texas A&M’s Rule 15.99.03M1, Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarship supplements the A&M System Regulation 15.99.03, Ethics in Research and Scholarship. The A&M System regulation states that “Academic research and scholarship must be conducted under the highest standards of honesty and integrity and all data, procedures, and findings will be properly and thoroughly documented. The credibility and long-term reputation of the faculty, staff, and each institution depend on the encouragement, enforcement, and reward of superior ethical standards. Achieving high ethical standards should transcend considerations of finance, personal gain, and short-term individual and institutional
recognition.” The University Rule and the A&M System Regulation provide definitions and procedures for dealing with allegations of misconduct in research and scholarship for non-funded and funded research, regardless of the funding source.
...........................................
The complete University Rule can be found here
The A&M System Regulation can be found here

B. Intellectual Property

The A&M System is committed to teaching, research, and public service. Research is one of the most important and rewarding aspects of the educational process, regularly leading to the development of new ideas, discoveries, and technologies with the potential to benefit the public at large. It is necessary to have an intellectual property policy that assures these new ideas, discoveries, and technologies arising from conducted research are used to the best interest of the A&M System’s constituents and the public it serves.

The Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) was created in December 2005 to facilitate technology transfer for the A&M System. It is the mission of OTC to encourage broad practical application of the A&M System research for public benefit; to encourage and assist those associated with the A&M System in the production, licensing, and commercialization of their discoveries; to ensure the equitable distribution of royalties and other monetary benefits resulting from the commercial application of intellectual property; and to see that commercialization activities benefit the research, education, and outreach missions of the A&M System into the future.

...........................................
Guy Diedrich
Vice Chancellor for Technology Commercialization
979.847.8682
Fax 979.845.1402
Website for the OTC

David Riddle
Director, Licensing and Intellectual Property

979.862.1933

C. Faculty Development Leave

The A&M System funds a Faculty Development Leave program. Leaves are funded at full pay for one semester or one-half pay for two semesters. Faculty members on these types of leaves may accept grants for study, research, or travel, but may not accept employment from other sources unless the Board of Regents determines that it would be in the public interest to do so and expressly approves the employment.
...........................................
Karan L. Watson
Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost
979.845.4274
Fax 979.845.1822
Website information

D. The Office of Biosafety

The Office of Biosafety engages with research programs and ensures that policies and guidelines established by the Institutional Biosafety Committee are carried out in compliance with federal, state, and university regulations. The office is led by the responsible official and biological safety officer. The office also provides guidance and outreach through on-going training; consults and monitors Risk Group 3 (RG3) and select biological agent activities; conducts orientation for students, faculty, and staff regarding the use of biohazardous materials; develops and implements ongoing monitoring and inspections of biosafety level 2 and 3 laboratories; consults with laboratory directors and/or principal investigators on all matters related to laboratory biosafety and compliance; conducts risk analyses of research operations with biohazardous agents and/or activities and identifies appropriate mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate identified risk factors; and assesses and analyzes potential safety and health risks of research projects that
involve biological materials; and determines effective engineering or administrative controls to mitigate against these risks.

...........................................
Bruce M. Whitney
Responsible Official / Biological Safety Officer
979.862.4549
Fax 979.458.2669
Website information

E. The Office of Research Compliance

The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) facilitates research by providing support, guidance, and oversight to the research community through the development and/or implementation of compliance standards.

The ORC is divided into three main program areas. Each program is staffed with a team available for pre-submission consultations, training, and to meet general assistance needs.
...........................................
Angelia Raines
Director
979.458.1467
Fax 979.862.3176
ORC Website

1. Human Subjects' Protection Program

The Human Subjects' Protection Program offers support, oversight, and guidance to the research community and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for projects related to the ethical use of human subjects in research. The IRB is a federally mandated committee tasked with reviewing research protocols in order to ensure compliance with regulations and institutional standards related to the protection of human subjects.
...........................................
Melissa McIlhaney, CIP
Program Coordinator
979.458.4067
Fax 979.862.3176
Website information on the Human Subjects' Protection Program
J. Steven Moore, IRB 1 Chair
Mary Elizabeth Herring, IRB 2 Chair

2. Animal Welfare Assurance Program

The Animal Welfare Assurance Program offers support and guidance to the research community and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for projects related to the welfare of animals in research and/or teaching. The IACUC is a federally mandated committee responsible for the oversight of the welfare of animal subjects in research and teaching. The committee reviews all protocols involving the use of vertebrate animals for compliance, conducts inspections of all areas where animals are housed and used, reviews the institutional program for animal use, reports its findings, investigates reports of animal concerns, and makes recommendations to the Institutional Official regarding the institution’s animal care and use program.
...........................................
Olivia Ash
Program Coordinator
979.458.1467
Fax 979.862.3176
Website information on the Animal Protection Program
Duane Kraemer, IACUC 1 Chair
Neil Hooper, IACUC 2 Chair

3. Institutional Biosafety Program

The Institutional Biosafety Program (IBSP) is responsible for support, oversight, and guidance to the research community and serves as the administrative arm for the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) for research involving biohazardous material. The IBC is a federally mandated committee by the National Institutes of
Health, and is responsible for reviewing and approving research involving recombinant DNA and other biohazard projects. The committee sets containment levels in accordance with NIH guidelines, Biosafety in Biomedical and Microbiological Laboratories (BMBL) manual, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). IBSP works closely with the Texas A&M Environmental Health and Safety Department.
...........................................
Tiffany M. Agnew
Program Coordinator
979.458.1467
Fax 979.862.3176
Website information on the Institutional Biosafety Program
Vernon Tesh, IBC Chair

4. ORC's Additional Responsibilities

Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

a. Export Controls

The federal government regulates exports from the U.S. and may require a license to export knowledge (or share with certain non-U.S. citizens) and technologies dependent upon an item’s technical characteristics, the destination, the end-user, and the end-use. The exporter must determine whether an export requires a license. The ORC is available to assist in making this determination.

The violation of standard scholarly codes of conduct and ethical behavior in professional scientific research by plagiarism, falsification, or fabrication of data is considered scientific misconduct. The ORC is responsible for assessing and/or
investigating allegations of scientific misconduct.

Next: Quick Reference of Contacts Previous: Student Research Opportunities