Research conflicts

Academic researchers financed by the National Institutes of Health are failing to report potential conflicts of interest that might influence their research.

NIH rules require universities to disclose conflicts from outside income. However, a report from the NIH inspector general has found that colleges are not complying with the requirement, and those that do rely too much on the researchers to decide if their outside work poses a conflict.

According to a New York Times report, half of universities do not ask faculty researchers to reveal how much money or stock they receive, which might influence their government-funded research.

In 2006, just 41 universities reported potential conflicts of interest with 165 researchers. But given the extent of federal funding to colleges nationwide that is believed to underreport the extent of the potential conflicts.

In most cases, the amount of the outside income also was not revealed and in few cases did the universities ask researchers to remove the potential conflict, a step colleges are reluctant to take for fear it might cause faculty to leave.

Barring outside work or consultation is not the answer. However, universities have to do more to ensure the integrity of the research so that it is not tainted by potential conflicts.