TY - JOUR
T1 - Institutions' expectations for researchers' self-funding, federal grant holding, and private industry involvement
T2 - Manifold drivers of self-interest and researcher behavior
AU - Martinson, Brian C.
AU - Crain, A. Lauren
AU - Anderson, Melissa S.
AU - De Vries, Raymond
PY - 2009/11
Y1 - 2009/11
N2 - Background: Private industry involvement is viewed as tainting research with self-interest, whereas public funding is generally well regarded. Yet, dependence on "soft money" also triggers researcher and university self-interest. No empirical research has compared these factors' effects on academic researchers' behaviors. Method: In 2006-2007, a survey was mailed to 5,000 randomly selected biomedical and social science faculty at 50 top-tier research universities in the United States. Measures included a university's expectations or nonexpectations that researchers obtain external grant funding, the receipt or nonreceipt of public research funding, any relationships with private industry, and research-related behaviors ranging from the ideal, to the questionable, to misconduct. Results: Being expected to obtain external funding and receiving federal research funding were both associated with significantly higher reports of 1 or more of 10 serious misbehaviors (P < .05) and neglectful or careless behaviors (P < .001). Researchers with federal funding were more likely than were those without to report having carelessly or inappropriately reviewed papers or proposals (9.6% versus 3.9%; P < .001). Those with private industry involvement were more likely than were those without to report 1 or more of 10 serious misbehaviors (28.5% versus 21.5%; P = .005) and to have engaged in misconduct (12.2% versus 7.1%; P = .004); they also were less likely to have always reported financial conflicts (96.0% versus 98.6%, P < .001). Conclusions: The free play of university and individual self-interests, combined with and contributing to the intense competition for research funding, may be undermining scientific integrity.
AB - Background: Private industry involvement is viewed as tainting research with self-interest, whereas public funding is generally well regarded. Yet, dependence on "soft money" also triggers researcher and university self-interest. No empirical research has compared these factors' effects on academic researchers' behaviors. Method: In 2006-2007, a survey was mailed to 5,000 randomly selected biomedical and social science faculty at 50 top-tier research universities in the United States. Measures included a university's expectations or nonexpectations that researchers obtain external grant funding, the receipt or nonreceipt of public research funding, any relationships with private industry, and research-related behaviors ranging from the ideal, to the questionable, to misconduct. Results: Being expected to obtain external funding and receiving federal research funding were both associated with significantly higher reports of 1 or more of 10 serious misbehaviors (P < .05) and neglectful or careless behaviors (P < .001). Researchers with federal funding were more likely than were those without to report having carelessly or inappropriately reviewed papers or proposals (9.6% versus 3.9%; P < .001). Those with private industry involvement were more likely than were those without to report 1 or more of 10 serious misbehaviors (28.5% versus 21.5%; P = .005) and to have engaged in misconduct (12.2% versus 7.1%; P = .004); they also were less likely to have always reported financial conflicts (96.0% versus 98.6%, P < .001). Conclusions: The free play of university and individual self-interests, combined with and contributing to the intense competition for research funding, may be undermining scientific integrity.
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U2 - 10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181bb2ca6
DO - 10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181bb2ca6
M3 - Article
C2 - 19858802
AN - SCOPUS:70449428521
SN - 1040-2446
VL - 84
SP - 1491
EP - 1499
JO - Academic Medicine
JF - Academic Medicine
IS - 11
ER -