Procedure No.:   19.051

Page No.:        1 and 2 of 2

Date Issued:     02/01/95

Issued By:       T.L. Chesnut

POLICY:

The Ohio University recognizes its responsibility to serve community (local, state, national, international) interests as it fulfills its basic educational objectives of undergraduate, graduate, and professional teaching, advanced research, and public service. It also recognizes its obligation as a center of higher learning to extend and understand knowledge in order that human life and liberty be preserved and enriched, not degraded or destroyed. The rights to engage in scholarly activity, to pursue individual intellectual inquiry, and to publish and communicate are basic to these objectives and obligations of the University and its scholars. it is in this context that the University appraises its sponsored research programs and encourages and assists its faculty through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP).

The policies of the University with respect to sponsored research are based on the following principles:

A. Any sponsored research that is to be undertaken must be demonstrably supportive of the instructional and research objectives of the departments, centers, and institutes in which the research is to be conducted. Proposals for research will be reviewed, weighing needs and benefits against costs and restrictions, to determine their acceptability.

B. The University does not accept sponsored research, the restrictions on which prevent disclosure of the sponsor, the existence of the contract, or adequate review of the appropriateness of the program to academic pursuits of the University.

C. The University, through the office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, in concert with the principal investigator, his department and college, will seek to minimize restrictions on publication and scholarly communication imposed by those research contracts that are accepted.

D. Ohio University does not accept theses or dissertations containing material developed as part of a research project if the thesis or dissertation is restricted from publication. Publication, for this purpose, includes depositing the manuscript with the academic college and department, cataloging by the Alden Library, and microfilming and distribution by University Microfilms. However, upon the student's written request to the dean of the college, publication may be delayed up to a maximum of 12 months if, in the judgment of the dean, the data upon which the thesis or dissertation is based are proprietary (i.e., legally protected as to copyright, patent secrecy, process of manufacture, etc.) and not available in the public domain. Request for delay must be submitted by the student, with the formal approval of the student's advisor, at least one academic quarter prior to the normal date of publication of the thesis or dissertation.

E. The University will accept research contracts at the request of the Federal Government which go beyond the immediate research interests of faculty members and their departments only under the most pressing demands of national interest and welfare.

F. The University does not accept sponsored programs requiring the University to be involved directly in the development of weapons or weapons systems.

Dick Piccard revised this file (http://www.ohio.edu/policy/s19-051.html) on August 3, 2012.

Please E-mail any comments or suggestions to "policy@ohio.edu".