Please see two updates from the Office of Research Integrity, Stewardship & Ethics (ORISE).

1) Revised Policy on Research Misconduct (effective January 1, 2026)

The University’s revised Policy on Research Misconduct is now posted on the Policies & Procedures site and is effective January 1, 2026. This update aligns the University’s process with revised federal requirements that apply to allegations received on or after January 1, 2026, and consolidates our approach into a single, University-wide standard.

The University Research Integrity Officer (RIO) and ORISE serve as neutral resources for faculty, trainees, and staff – available to explain the process, answer questions, and help ensure procedural fairness. Please contact ORISE with any questions.

2) iThenticate 2.0 upgrade (action requested for current users)
The University has successfully completed an upgrade to iThenticate 2.0. Key enhancements include:

• AI writing detection (available with iThenticate 2.0)
• Enhanced similarity checking (including the ability to automatically exclude preprints, and easier identification of hidden text/replaced characters via the Flags Panel)
• Improved collaboration (share folders with user groups)
• Modern, accessible design (streamlined user experience aligned with current global standards)

If you are a current user, you should have received an email titled “Welcome to iThenticate” from noreply@turnitin.com inviting you to activate your iThenticate 2.0 account. Please ensure you activate your account. If your invitation link has expired, please contact the University’s iThenticate institution administrators to resend the welcome email: Sharon DeGregorio or Sonya Hadrigan.

To request a new account, please visit the University’s iThenticate website. 

Thank you for your continued commitment to research integrity.

Stephen Dewhurst, PhD
Vice President for Research

Sonya Maria Hadrigan, APRN, MLS, CIP
Associate Vice President for Research Integrity | Research Integrity Officer

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Key points NIH emphasized:

• Reducing administrative burden: NIH has streamlined application requirements by eliminating certain pre-application letters and permission requirements, and launched a new Highlighted Topics portal to make priority areas more accessible without needing separate funding announcements.

• Unified funding strategy: The agency is focusing funding on the most meritorious science with potential to address urgent health challenges while sustaining a diverse and resilient biomedical workforce.

• Responsible innovation: NIH is advancing secure, ethical use of AI and strengthening transparency, data access, and research integrity — all of which shape expectations for applications and awards.

• Global research stewardship: New principles for international collaboration and clearer expectations for sensitive data underline NIH’s commitment to responsible and accountable use of federal funding.

These NIH priorities align with the University’s ongoing efforts to support high-impact, externally funded research and navigate evolving federal policy requirements.

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NIH recently issued NOT-OD-26-017, which provides key updates to NIH research security training requirements. NIH’s current research security training requirements are as follows: 

Requirements:

Effective for NIH applications submitted for due dates on or after May 25, 2026, all senior/key personnel listed on an NIH grant application must certify to NIH that they have completed research security training within 12 months of the date of application submission.

In addition, all senior/key personnel who submit Other Support information to NIH (through Just-In-Time procedures, a Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR), or certain applications) must have completed research security training prior to submission. This training satisfies the NIH requirement that senior/key personnel complete training related to the disclosure of Other Support effective October 1, 2025.

What You Need to Do: 

It is strongly recommended that all PIs, faculty, and senior/key personnel currently engaged or planning to be engaged in NIH-funded research complete research security training well in advance of your upcoming deadlines. For NIH proposals that require completion of research security training, ORPA will not submit the proposal if training has not been completed.

Where to Access Resources/Training:

Research security training is accessible in MyPath by searching for “Research Security” in the search bar. More information on Research Security training can be found on the Office of Vice President for Research website.

Regards,

Stephen Dewhurst, PhD
Vice President for Research

Joe Doyle, JD
Research Security Officer

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A Career Built on Connection

Wyatt arrived in Rochester in 1982 as a young veterinarian beginning a residency in research and wildlife medicine. Over the years, he built one of the nation’s most respected animal research programs—one known for scientific excellence and compassionate care. In 1995, he became the first veterinarian to earn a master’s in public health from the University, deepening his focus on how environmental and animal health influence human well-being.

That combination of expertise and vision quickly translated into institution-wide impact. His leadership strengthened the animal research infrastructure—from daily operations to long-term planning—ensuring investigators had the support, expertise, and environment they needed to pursue complex scientific questions. His collaborative, solution-oriented approach reinforced that foundation and modeled the principles of team science long before they became a formal institutional priority.

“Jeff’s impact on our institutional research enterprise, on the Rochester community—and even globally—can’t be overstated,” said Vice President for Research Steve Dewhurst, PhD. “Animal models touch a majority of scientific work happening at this institution, and Jeff made that possible—not only by ensuring the highest standards of care, but also by helping our investigators in myriad ways.”

Colleagues who worked closely with Wyatt over the decades describe him as a steady, strategic leader whose guidance shaped both teams and individuals. Diane Moorman-White, a longtime veterinarian on the Animal Resources team, says “His ability to navigate complex situations, mentor staff, and solve problems with creativity and calm had a lasting influence on the department and the broader University community.”

That same systems-level perspective guided his work beyond the Medical Center. His vision linked human, animal, and environmental health, leading to decades of research connecting ecosystem quality and community well-being. His work on the Genesee River and Great Lakes ecosystems helped reveal how wildlife can serve as indicators of environmental recovery. Through projects such as the Lake Sturgeon Restoration Program, his team demonstrated measurable improvements in water quality and aquatic wildlife—successes that contributed to the recent delisting of the Rochester Embayment as an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Area of Concern.

“Mother Nature is so resilient,” Wyatt said in a November 2024 interview for The Next Step Podcast. “The pollution stopped, and she’s cleaning up the river as long as we give her the opportunity to do so. The sturgeon are thriving, and we’re seeing what’s possible when science, community, and patience come together.”

Conservation Without Borders

Beyond the Rochester area, Wyatt’s leadership extended to collaborations linking the University’s community revitalization mission to global ecosystem health. His two decades of work in Borneo and Madagascar, the world’s third and fourth largest islands, helped protect critically endangered orangutans and lemurs by partnering with local communities to provide healthcare and sustainable livelihoods—an approach credited with saving thousands of animals and transforming public health outcomes.

Through EPA and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation-funded projects, he’s worked alongside Rochester communities from different cultural backgrounds to raise awareness about safe fish consumption and promote healthier choices for families who rely on local waterways for food.

Although retiring from his University role, Wyatt will continue his mission globally and locally through partnerships with Health in Harmony and NYS Environmental Justice programs.

Welcoming Pradeep Dumpala

As Wyatt concludes his distinguished career, SMD welcomes Pradeep Dumpala, DVM, PhD, DACLAM, previously associate director in the Department of Laboratory Animal Resources at SUNY Upstate Medical University, to lead the University’s animal care and use programs.

A board-certified laboratory animal medicine specialist, Dumpala brings more than 15 years of leadership in animal research operations, accreditation, and regulatory compliance. Colleagues who have worked with him point to his strong management skills, his experience running complex facilities, and his ability to build trusting relationships across teams.

“It was clear he was very good at making connections between people,” says Craig Morrell,

DVM, PhD, professor in the Department of Medicine and head of the search committee. “He finds a path to make something work.”

“What drew me to Rochester is its deeply collaborative and forward-thinking spirit,” Dumpala says. “I’m inspired by the University’s commitment to scientific excellence and animal welfare and eager to contribute to its research mission.”

A Legacy of Hope

Wyatt’s career reminds us that science and stewardship go hand in hand. His influence—spanning laboratories, rivers, and rainforests—leaves an enduring lesson in optimism and interconnectedness.

“Remember, we are all connected—humans, animals and the environment,” he said. “Unless both the environment and people are healthy, neither can be.”

The post A Pillar of Comparative Medicine: Celebrating Jeff Wyatt and Welcoming Pradeep Dumpala appeared first on Office of the Vice President for Research.

ORPA is preparing a Common Form training plan for new SciENcv users. We intend to offer a combination of on-demand training resources and drop-in office hours for individual/small group support. We will provide more training information soon.

NIH has announced that a system validation will be implemented to check for the use of the Common Forms in applications – it will generate an error preventing submission beginning February 6^th, 2026.

We strongly encourage departments and faculty to start preparing for the NIH implementation of the Common Forms by:

• becoming familiar with SciENcv
• establishing ORCID IDs and linking them to their eRA Commons profiles.  This will be required – please complete as soon as possible.

Further resources are available from NIH at the following links:

• Preview versions of the NIH Common Form instructions can be found in the NIH Forms Directory
• Users can find information on SciENcv in the My NCBI Help of the NCBI Bookshelf

NIH anticipates finalizing the templates in SciENcv for Common Forms, the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement and associated instructions the week of December 15, 2025.

Additionally, attached are the email from September that announced the preview forms, and the slides from the October 28^th, 2025 CLASP meeting that cover the NIH Common Forms.

This notice also announces a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program (MFTRP) prohibition and certification requirement. Effective January 25, 2026, individuals who are a current party to a MFTRP are not eligible to serve as a senior/key person on an NIH award. At the time of application, and annually at the time of RPPR submission, each individual identified as a senior/key person must certify to NIH that they are not a party to a MFTRP. This certification will be captured by the Common Forms, and in a separate document for RPPR submission. UR will provide a template for the RPPR submission document. As a reminder, UR maintains a Policy on Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs and Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs that prohibits senior/key persons from participating in MFTRPs.

Please contact your ORPA Research Administrator with any questions.

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The University has introduced new tools to help researchers manage import tariffs on research equipment. With tariffs of 10-35% now affecting purchases from the EU, China, and other countries, researchers face scenarios that vary by product, country of origin, and federal policy. As tariff applicability is specific to individual purchases, and potential retroactive refund opportunities are pending a Supreme Court decision, researchers are best positioned to track their own purchases and potential refunds.

Request vendor justification
Ask your vendor for detailed justification (product codes, tariff filings, country-of-origin information, and quotes). Vendors typically have the best insight into how their products are classified and billed. See the tariff guidance portal for self-service information, including what to request from vendors and when to escalate questions.

Service Desk Support
If vendor information doesn’t resolve your question, email priceincrease@urmc.rochester.edu.  Your inquiry will be routed to Procurement or the Office of Counsel based on the issue.

Electronic Form 338 Application
For tariff exception requests, use the online Form 338 tool. When you complete the form and include the required justification (e.g., receipts, quotes, and technical requirements), the system will automatically generate a PDF in the required federal format needed for submission to authorities. You will receive a copy of the completed form, and the Office of Counsel will also be notified through the Service Desk dashboard. It is highly recommended that you wait to take any further action until Counsel reviews your request; they aim to review and respond to all exception submissions within one week. Counsel will determine whether the request should move forward or help identify submissions that are unlikely to be approved or are too small to justify the effort – an important step given that federal approval can take up to a year.

Please note that these tools are intended to assist—rather than replace—researcher-led tracking and documentation. Tariff scenarios are highly specific, and departments remain best positioned to monitor their own purchases.

Kindly,

Anthony Beckman
Associate Vice President for Research & Project Administration

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The Office of Research IT (ORIT) has officially joined University IT (UIT). While this transition has already taken place operationally, we are pleased to formally share this update with the research community. Please join us in welcoming the Office of Research IT team as they become part of the University IT and Center for Integrated Research Compute (CIRC) family.

ORIT has long supported the University’s research computing environment, including high-performance computing infrastructure, secure data storage and access, and technology solutions that enable research at scale. Integrating ORIT within UIT streamlines service lines and access points, giving researchers a more unified path to technical support. This alignment also strengthens coordination across IT units, reinforces long-term, sustainable support for the University’s research technology resources, and lays the groundwork for broader collaboration across the University’s IT ecosystem.

At this stage, ORIT and UIT are collaborating to bring teams together and assess how best to align roles and responsibilities. There are no immediate changes to how researchers request support. For high-performance computing (HPC) needs, please continue to contact CIRC. For local compute or storage needs within the School of Medicine & Dentistry please continue to contact Mike Conklin.

We will continue to communicate additional details as roles and responsibilities evolve to support a more integrated and seamless research IT environment.

Please join us in recognizing this important step toward a more integrated and sustainable IT infrastructure in support of the University’s research mission.

Warm regards,

Julie Myers
Vice President for Information Technology
Chief Information Officer

Steve Dewhurst, PhD
Vice President for Research
Vice Dean for Research, School of Medicine & Dentistry

Sarah Peyre, EdD
Chief Operating Officer, School of Medicine & Dentistry
Vice Dean for Education, School of Medicine & Dentistry

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Reporting to the Vice President for Research, Mumford comes to Rochester to lead the Office for Human Subject Protect (OHSP), which ensures that the University protects the rights, welfare, and safety of all research participants. She will oversee a comprehensive human subject protection program for the entire institution in support of its mission in education, research, and patient care, and in compliance with applicable federal, state and institutional regulations, guidelines and policies. The AVP provides education, outreach, and training for the University research community regarding the OHSP, including determining when Institutional Review Board (IRB) review is necessary. The IRB ensures that ethical and safe research practices are used when research is conducted with human subjects.

Mumford brings a wealth of academic and regulatory knowledge to this position with more than 20 years of IRB experience in both industry and higher education. Prior to her time at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Mumford directed the Institutional Review Board at the University of Utah, where she oversaw the professional staff responsible for the IRB submissions and protocols. In 2022, she joined Illinois’ Office for the Protection of Research Subjects, responsible for transforming the Human Research Protection Program at the institution, streamlining IRB review, and establishing standard operating procedures for IRB committees and office operations.

Mumford holds a masters of business administration and a bachelor of science in management both from Purdue University.

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I’m writing to address the government shutdown, effective October 1^st – as well as its likely effect on research.

With a shutdown, we expect all federal agencies to be impacted – and that they will no longer be able to:

• engage in new rulemaking;
• post new notices of funding opportunities;
• look at proposals, although electronic submissions systems have remained active to receive submissions in the past;
• send proposals out for peer review;
• convene review panels or advisory committees;
• make new awards or contracts;
• or make manual payments to existing awards (letter of credit draws will likely still be available).

Most agency staff will be furloughed and will not be allowed to access their government email, meaning they will be unable to communicate about grant programs, active awards, or potential proposals. This will create a backlog, so further delays on announcements of awards or new grant programs is likely.

The FDA has, during past shutdowns, continued to process some types of submissions (IND, NDA, Expanded Access), but we do not know what will happen this time.  Please contact the Office of Regulatory Support for help if you have concerns about your FDA related applications.

If you are waiting on award announcements for solicitations that closed earlier this year, please be aware that a government shutdown may also lead to delays in award announcements.

ORPA has prepared more detailed guidance on what to expect. Additionally, links to the contingency plans published by funding agencies will be shared by ORPA.

Regards,

Steve Dewhurst, PhD
Vice President for Research

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This message serves as an update to the communication we sent earlier this summer regarding National Science Foundation (NSF) research security and training requirements:

Reminder: Research Security Training

Effective October 10^th, 2025, all senior/key personnel (e.g. PIs, Co-PIs, project directors, co-project directors, and Faculty Associates) identified in an NSF proposal must certify to NSF that they have completed Research Security training within one year prior to the proposal submission.

All PIs, faculty, and other senior/key personnel currently engaged or planning to be engaged in NSF-funded research should complete Research Security training by October 10, 2025. ORPA will not submit an NSF proposal if training has not been completed.

Research Security training is accessible in MyPath by searching for “Research Security” in the search bar (approx. 1 hour, 35 minutes). For more information on research security, visit the Office of Vice President for Research website.

Completion of the University’s MyPath Research Security training will be recognized by all federal agencies currently requiring such training. Training does not need to be repeated solely due to funding from multiple agencies; however, frequency of completion may vary by agency.

Update: Required Documentation

The University plans to utilize Box to assist University Departments in collecting and maintaining supporting documentation, including copies of contracts, grants, or any other agreement specific to foreign appointments, employment with a foreign institution, or participation in a foreign talent recruitment program and other information reported as Current and Pending (Other) Support for all senior/key personnel that are identified in federal award applications, regardless of federal funding agency.

More information regarding this Box solution will be made available soon.

Update: Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) Training

NSF has updated its requirements for Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) training to incorporate research security topics. The University’s CITI RECR modules will be updated accordingly. For most faculty and senior/key personnel, completing the Research Security training in MyPath will satisfy both requirements.

Regards,

Stephen Dewhurst, PhD
Vice President for Research

Joe Doyle, JD
Research Security Officer

Sonya Hadrigan, APRN, MLS, CIP
Associate Vice President for Research Integrity

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