[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 14, Volume 5]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 14CFR1275.100]

[Page 514]
 
                     TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
 
                   CHAPTER V--NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
                          SPACE ADMINISTRATION
 
PART 1275_RESEARCH MISCONDUCT--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  1275.100  Purpose and scope.

    (a) The purpose of this part is to establish procedures to be used 
by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the 
handling of allegations of research misconduct. Specifically, the 
procedures contained in this part are designed to result in:
    (1) Findings as to whether research misconduct by a person or 
institution has occurred in proposing, performing, reviewing, or 
reporting results from research activities funded or supported by NASA; 
and
    (2) Recommendations on appropriate administrative actions that may 
be undertaken by NASA in response to research misconduct determined to 
have occurred.
    (b) This part applies to all research wholly or partially funded or 
supported by NASA. This includes any research conducted by a NASA 
installation and any research conducted by a public or private entity 
receiving NASA funds or using NASA facilities, equipment or personnel, 
under a contract, grant, cooperative agreement, Space Act agreement, or 
other transaction with NASA.
    (c) NASA shall make a determination of research misconduct only 
after careful inquiry and investigation by an awardee institution, 
another Federal agency, or NASA, and an adjudication conducted by NASA. 
NASA shall afford the accused individual or institution a chance to 
comment on the investigation report and a chance to appeal the decision 
resulting from the adjudication. In structuring procedures in individual 
cases, NASA may take into account procedures already followed by other 
entities investigating the same allegation of research misconduct. 
Investigation of allegations which, if true, would constitute criminal 
offenses, are not covered by this part.
    (d) A determination that research misconduct has occurred must be 
accompanied by recommendations on appropriate administrative actions. 
However, the administrative actions themselves may be imposed only after 
further procedures described in applicable NASA regulations concerning 
contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, Space Act agreements, or 
other transactions, depending on the type of agreement used to fund or 
support the research in question. Administrative actions involving NASA 
civil service employees may be imposed only in compliance with all 
relevant Federal laws and policies.
    (e) Allegations of research misconduct concerning NASA research may 
be transmitted to NASA in one of the following ways: by mail addressed 
to Office of Inspector General (OIG), Code W, National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration, 300 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20546-0001; via 
the NASA OIG Hotline at 1-800-424-9183, or the NASA OIG cyber hotline at 
www.hq.nasa.gov/office/oig/hq/hotline.html.
    (f) To the extent permitted by law, the identity of the Complainant, 
witnesses, or other sources of information who wish to remain anonymous 
shall be kept confidential. To the extent permitted by law, NASA shall 
protect the research misconduct inquiry, investigation, adjudication, 
and appeal records maintained by NASA as exempt from mandatory 
disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552, the Freedom of Information Act, as 
amended, and 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Privacy Act, as amended.