NOT-OD-04-010: FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
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FINDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

RELEASE DATE:  December 2, 2003

NOTICE:  NOT-OD-04-010

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and the 
Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in the following case:

Sheila Blackwell, University of Maryland, Baltimore:  Based on the report of 
an investigation conducted by the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB 
Report), the respondent’s admission of responsibility, and additional 
analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, the U.S. Public Health 
Service (PHS) found that Sheila Blackwell, former contractual employee, 
Department of Pediatrics at UMB, engaged in scientific misconduct in research 
supported by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes 
of Health (NIH), grant 2 R01 MH54983, entitled  Effectiveness of Standard 
versus Embellished HIV Prevention. 

Specifically, PHS found that Ms. Blackwell engaged in scientific misconduct 
by fabricating interview records for the Focus on Teens HIV Risk Prevention 
Program for nine interviews that had not been performed over the period of 
May through July 2001.

Ms. Blackwell has entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement 
(Agreement ) in which she has voluntarily agreed for a period of three 
(3) years, beginning on October 30, 2003:

(1)  to exclude herself from serving in any advisory capacity to 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 her participation in any PHS-supported research will be 
conditioned on an appropriate plan of supervision of her duties 
(Supervision Plan) as follows:  (i) any institution that submits an 
application for PHS support for a research project in which Ms. 
Blackwell’s participation is proposed or anticipated must concurrently 
submit a Supervision Plan to the funding agency for approval; and (ii) 
any institution using Ms. Blackwell in any capacity in PHS-supported 
research must submit a Supervision Plan to the funding agency for 
approval.  The Supervision Plan must be designed to ensure the 
scientific integrity of her research contribution.  A copy of the 
Supervision Plan must also be submitted to ORI by the institution.  Ms. 
Blackwell agreed that she will not participate in any PHS-supported 
research until the Supervision Plan has been submitted to ORI.

INQUIRIES

For further information contact:

Director
Division of Investigative Oversight
Office of Research Integrity
1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 750
Rockville, MD  20852
Telephone:  301- 443-5330
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