Research Integrity AMED’s efforts

AMED promotes the following measures in its Department of Research Integrity and Legal Affairs to ensure the fair and appropriate conducting of research that it provides funding to.

1. Holding lectures
   AMED holds lectures for researchers and institutional administrators on compliance with laws and guidelines.
2. Based on the Japanese government’s guidelines, we impose taking a Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Education Program on researchers participating in research activities. (See “The Responsible Conduct of Research Education Program” for details)
3. AMED, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) jointly held the “Japan and Germany International Symposium: Measures on Enhancing Research Integrity –Case Studies from Japan and Germany-” on September 30, 2015.

   Lecture materials for the symposium can be viewed from the following links:

   • Program | Japan and Germany International Symposium: Measures on Enhancing Research Integrity –Case Studies from Japan and Germany- (JST website)
     *You will be redirected to an external website.
4. AMED held a seminar on managing Conflicts of Interest (COI) for institutional administrators who engaged on establishment of regulatory frameworks and handling of COI.

We provide a contact point for consultation and advice on establishing frameworks to prevent research misconduct and misuse of funds in research institutes.

We provide the following contact point for receiving allegations about research misconduct and misuse of research funds in the research & development projects operated by AMED:

1. Please note that a research & development institution affiliating a researcher(s) involving research misconduct and/or misuse of research funds shall investigate that allegation as a general rule.

2. We will ask for (1) the name of complainant, division, contact information, (2) the alleged researcher(s) and/or research group, (3) outline of the research misconduct or misuse, (4) rational reasons for suspecting the research misconduct or misuse, (5) the name of the AMED project or competitive funds in which fraudulent behavior is suspected, and (6) whether or not the suspected behavior has been reported to research institutions other than AMED. Please note before reporting that (1) cooperation by the complainant may be requested during the investigation, (2) disclosure of name, disciplinary actions and/or criminal charges may be pressed against the complainant if the allegation is deemed to be malicious at the investigation procedure, and (3) details of allegation may be provided to other institutions or funding organizations for their investigation procedures.

   In the case of non-malicious allegation, we shall not give any disadvantageous treatment to the complainant for having brought an allegation.