AP.7 Research Policies

AP.7.1 Human Subjects Research

All research activities involving human subjects or human subjects data conducted by faculty, staff, or students must be submitted to the Research Integrity and Assurance office for review and approval. All application forms must be submitted through the Institutional Review Board. All covered research activities must be approved by the Institutional Review Board prior to initiation of the activity. All student research must be supervised by a faculty member. The faculty member will serve as the principal investigator for the research and will assume responsibility for the legal and ethical conduct of the work. For additional information, please see University Policy 4017. 

AP.7.2 Animal Use in Research

All work with live vertebrate animals, whether for research, teaching, or testing, must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) prior to initiation of the work. All use of animals at Mason must be carried out under the supervision of a faculty member who is qualified and experienced in the work being conducted and assumes responsibility for legal and ethical conduct. Further information and submission forms can be found at the Research Integrity and Assurance office.

AP.7.3 Misconduct in Research and Scholarship

George Mason University is committed to the highest standards of ethical research and scholarship. All faculty, staff, and students are responsible for conducting research and scholarship in an ethical manner. The university has developed a comprehensive policy and procedures to address allegations of misconduct: University Policy 4007.

AP.7.4 Research Conflicts of Interest

Those conducting sponsored research are subject to the requirements of University Policy 4001: Conflict of Interests, which helps to ensure that the design, conduct, or reporting of research will not be biased by any conflicting financial interest of an Investigator.

For further information see: http://disclose.gmu.edu.

AP.7.5 Patents and Copyright in University Works

An invention made by a student who is not engaged in fulfilling his or her responsibilities as a university employee is owned by the student, with few exceptions as described in University Policy 4003: Patenting University Inventions. Student rights to work done at the University in their capacity as a student, as a university employee, and in their individual capacity are described in University Policy 4002: Copyright in University Works.

For further information, contact the Office of Technology Transfer’s website: ott.gmu.edu.

AP.7.6 Ownership and Maintenance of Research Records

Records created by university employees and students as a result of scholarly inquiry and that are necessary to validate research findings are subject to Virginia and Federal law, as well as funding entities’ policies and procedures. All research records are the property of the University; generally, researchers may retain a copy of any research record he or she creates. Proper research record maintenance is also a critical aspect of conducting ethical and responsible research and scholarship. Requirements related to these issues are set out in University Policy 4011: Ownership and Maintenance of Research Records.

For further information, see the University Records Management Office’s website: http://recordsmanagement.gmu.edu/ and the Office of Research Integrity and Assurance’s website concerning responsible conduct of research and research misconduct: https://oria.gmu.edu/.