The following guidelines apply, regardless of the scenario. When the university accepts external funds, we agree to comply with all Federal regulations and guidelines, including, but not limited to, the following:
Animal Care
All research and teaching involving the use of vertebrate animals must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) prior to the procurement or use of the animals. Certain projects require continuing review and continuation funding could be affected.
Biosafety
Federal law mandates that university ensure the proper handling and disposal of chemicals, hazardous waste, and other biohazardous materials. For more information, contact the university hygienist at 724-357-5705.
Conflict of Interest
State and federal law mandates that universities have a policy in place to assure that the personal financial holdings of personnel working on sponsored projects do not give the appearance of influencing the outcomes of the sponsored research. University policy requires that project personnel make periodic disclosures of any significant financial interests related to the research project. For further information or to request a Disclosure Form (Form SEC-1), contact the IUP Research Institute.
Drug-Free Workplace
The Federal Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 mandates that the university maintains a drug-free workplace where the distribution, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited. A copy of the Drug-Free Workplace Policy is available from the Office of Human Resources.
Export Control
Export control regulations are federal laws that prohibit the unlicensed export of certain commodities or information for reasons of national security or protections of trade. For details, see What is Export Control?
Human Subjects
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) must review all research protocols before the project begins. Certain projects require continuing review and continuation funding could be affected.
Intellectual Property
Project directors usually have rights to ownership of creations developed as a result of a sponsored activity. When substantial use of university facilities takes place during the development of the creation, the university and the project director share in any royalty income generated from the commercialization of the product. See PASSHE's policy on Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property.
Lobbying
Federal law prohibits the use of federally appropriated funds for lobbying the executive or legislative branches of the federal government in connection with a specific grant. In addition, the university must make public disclosures if non-federal funds are used for lobbying. For more information, contact the IUP Research Institute.
Recombinant DNA
Federal regulations require that universities conducting or sponsoring recombinant DNA research be responsible for ensuring the safe conduct of experiments. Recombinant DNA molecules are defined as molecules that are constructed outside living cells by joining natural or synthetic DNA segments to DNA molecules that can replicate in a living cell. For further information on the reporting and review system, contact the assistant dean for Research.
Scientific Misconduct
Federal policy requires that the university investigate allegations of fraud or misconduct encountered in the carrying out of scientific research. It is the responsibility of the project director to report any potential situations of fraud or misconduct to the assistant dean for Research. See IUP's Policy for Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct.