NIH Guide: FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT 

NIH GUIDE, Volume 26, Number 32, September 26, 1997 

P.T. 34; K.W. 1014004, 1014006 

Department of Health and Human Services 

Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has
made a final finding of scientific misconduct in the following case: 

Christopher Leonhard, Dartmouth College: Based upon an investigation
conducted by Dartmouth College, information obtained by the Office of
Research Integrity (ORI) during its oversight review, and Mr. Leonhard=s
own admission, ORI found that Mr. Leonhard, a former graduate student in
the Department of Psychology, Dartmouth College, engaged in scientific
misconduct arising out of certain biomedical research supported by two
grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National
Institutes of Health (NIH). 

Specifically, Mr. Leonhard (1) fabricated experimental records and
falsely represented them to his supervisor as being results obtained
from multiple electrophysiological screening sessions conducted on eight
animals; and (2) fabricated two surgical records as evidence of
experimental preparations (implantation of indwelling electrodes) on two
animals, which in fact had not been done. The experimental records did
not appear in any publications. 

Mr. Leonhard has accepted the ORI finding and has entered into a
Voluntary Exclusion Agreement with ORI in which he has voluntarily
agreed, for the three (3) year period beginning September 8, 1997: 

(1) to exclude himself from serving in any advisory capacity to the
Public Health Service (PHS), including but not limited to service on any
PHS advisory committee, board, and/or peer review committee, or as a
consultant; and 

(2) that any institution that submits an application for PHS support for
a research project on which Mr. Leonhard=s participation is proposed or
which uses him in any capacity on PHS supported research or that submits
a report of PHS-funded research in which he is involved must
concurrently submit a plan for supervision of his duties to the funding
agency for approval. The supervisory plan must be designed to ensure the
scientific integrity of Mr. Leonhard=s research contribution. The
institution also must submit a copy of the supervisory plan to ORI. 

No scientific publications were required to be corrected as part of this
Agreement. 

INQUIRIES 

For further information contact: 

Acting Director, Division of Research Investigations Office of Research
Integrity 5515 Security Lane, Suite 700 Rockville, MD 20852 Telephone:
(301) 443-5330
	Office of Extramural Research (OER)			National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)