The letter from the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Francis S. Collins, dated August 20, 2018, addresses growing concerns about the integrity of the U.S. biomedical research enterprise due to inappropriate foreign influences. While acknowledging the longstanding and productive collaboration between the NIH and academic institutions, with contributions from a diverse global community, the Director highlights the necessity for fairness, transparency, and trust in maintaining a competitive research environment. Recent incidents have demonstrated that some foreign entities are attempting to exert improper influence on NIH-funded researchers and peer reviewers, leading to threats such as the diversion of intellectual property, unauthorized sharing of confidential information, and inadequate disclosure of financial resources from foreign sources by some researchers.
In response to these issues, the NIH is collaborating with other government agencies, research institutions, and professional organizations to safeguard research integrity. Steps include forming a working group to recommend measures for accurate reporting of research support and affiliations, enhancing intellectual property security while continuing international collaboration, and strengthening the peer review process. The NIH reminds institutions of their obligation to fully disclose all research support and affiliations, and requests their active cooperation in reporting relevant information and potential breaches. The letter underscores the seriousness of the matter and solicits continued partnership and vigilance from the academic research community.
