We are writing to inform you about an important policy update. Last fall the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) issued a  to update and modernize the 2005 Public Health Service (PHS) Policies on Research Misconduct (Final Rule); institutions that receive PHS funds must have updated policies in place by January 1, 2026.

The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) worked with the Office of General Counsel to review and update 91����’s Policy and Procedures for Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct (Word) to comply with the Final Rule. Key revisions are highlighted below:

• A number of new and revised definitions; of particular note – a significantly revised definition for ‘Plagiarism’ which specifically excludes self-plagiarism and authorship or credit disputes.
• Deletion of the Rights & Responsibilities section previously identified as confusing due to it repeating process information contained elsewhere in the policy.
• Confidentiality section revised to align with PHS regulation including expansion upon ‘need to know’.
• Maximum timeline for Inquiry & Investigation extended to 120 and 180 days respectively (now also align with National Science Foundation requirements).
• Significant revisions to Inquiry Report Contents, Investigation Process & Investigation Report Elements. Of note: Per the Final Rule, Respondents must be provided access to all transcripts of transcribed interviews, with redactions as appropriate to maintain confidentiality.

We as an institution are deeply committed to fostering an environment in which the highest ethical standards in the conduct of research and other scholarly activities are maintained. We encourage all faculty, staff and students to review this updated policy, and we welcome your questions, comments and feedback.

ORC will be developing educational resources about the revised Policy and will be hosting training sessions; a communication about these training sessions will be sent in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the Policy and additional educational materials are available on the Research Misconduct section of the ORC website.

Please contact 91����’s Director of Research Compliance, Amanda Ashe (amanda.l.ashe@maine.edu), with any questions you may have regarding these changes or any feedback you wish to provide.

This NIH notice decisively limits the use of AI in research applications and describes potential research misconduct risks of using AI:

“Researchers should be aware that using AI comes with its own risks. AI use may result in plagiarism, fabricated citations, or other kinds of research misconduct.”

Beyond this, NIH also states:

“If the detection of AI is identified post award, NIH may refer the matter to the Office of Research Integrity to determine whether there is research misconduct ��…].”

The is the federal agency that oversees research misconduct inquiries and investigations for any institutions that receive U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) funding – such as the University of Maine.

Lastly, the NIH notice also has implications for grants and submission limits. Please see the Office of Research Administration (ORA) for further guidance on that topic.

For more information on AI at 91����, please see the .

For more information on research misconduct, please see the Office of Research Compliance’s Research Misconduct website.

Dear University of Maine and University of Maine at Machias Community Members,

We are writing to inform you about an important policy update. 91����’s Policy and Procedures on Alleged Misconduct in Research and Other Scholarly Activities (Policy) was last revised in 2006. Application of the Policy in recent years highlighted the need for a comprehensive review. This comprehensive review identified areas where the Policy needed improvement to be more easily understood and administered and in line with current best practices.

The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) worked with the Office of General Counsel and an external subject matter expert who formed the core team updating the Policy. The team collected feedback from both internal stakeholders, including AFUM members (The Associated Faculties of the Universities of Maine), and two additional external subject matter experts and worked extensively with the Faculty Senate to craft the resulting end product, an updated policy with a new name Policy and Procedures for Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct (Word). Highlights of the substantive changes include, but are not limited to, expanded definitions of key terms that align with federal definitions, and more robust appeals and challenges processes.

The revised Policy also expands due process for both Respondents and Complainants, a key element of which that we recognize and respect, is a party’s right to representation, including by AFUM, throughout the Research Misconduct process. That is clearly preserved in the revised Policy. AFUM’s advocacy and engagement are a recognized part of the process.

We as an institution are deeply committed to fostering an environment in which the highest ethical standards in the conduct of research and other scholarly activities are maintained. This revised Policy, and the considerable work invested by all parties to bring it to fruition, are a testament to that commitment. We believe this policy provides improved clarity and direction so that issues and concerns from past processes will not reoccur.

This revised Policy is effective today and applies to all research and scholarship conducted within the University community. We encourage all faculty, staff and students to review this updated policy, and we welcome your questions, comments and feedback.

ORC will be developing educational resources about the revised Policy and will be hosting training sessions; a communication about these training sessions will be sent in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the Policy and additional educational materials are available on the Research Misconduct section of the ORC website.

Please contact 91����’s Director of Research Compliance, Amanda Ashe (amanda.l.ashe@maine.edu), with any questions you may have regarding these changes or any feedback you wish to provide.

Sincerely,

Joan Ferrini-Mundy
Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, University of Maine System
President, University of Maine and University of Maine at Machias

Kody Varahramyan
Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School