CLOSEOUT MEMORANDUM FOR M97100031 On 9 October 1997, an NSF program director1brought an allegation of misconduct in science from the complainant2to OIG's attention. The complainant alleged that the subject3 used the complainant's idea4 in the subject's NSF funded proposal5without properly citing the complainant or the complainant's collaborator6as its source. Although the complainant said he had not seen the subject's NSF proposal, he explained that he had seen the abstract and was concerned the subject had not cited his or his collaborator's publications to appropriately acknowledge the idea's origin. The program director told OIG that he reviewed the subject's'proposal and observed that the subject had cited three publications7authored by the complainant andlor his collaborator in the proposal about the idea. OIG's review.of two of these publications confirmed that they , discussed the idea. In addition, OIG noted that the discussion of the idea presented in the subject's proposal clearly acknowledged the complainant and his collaborator as its source. OIG concluded that the subject appropriately cited the origin of the idea in the NSF proposal. There is no substance to the allegation that the subject used the complainant's idea without proper citation. This inquiry is closed and no further action will be taken. cc: Staff Scientist, Investigations, AIG Oversight, Attorney, IG Footnotes Redacted Page 1 of 1
Intellectual Theft
Published by the National Science Foundation, Office of Inspector General on 1998-08-21.
Below is a raw (and likely hideous) rendition of the original report. (PDF)