Title: Selling Out? Making Deals with Other Institutions
Author: Adapted from a case written by Anji Wall
Description: A research group offers a post-doctoral student an opportunity to collaborate with them and offers him an incentive to leave his current position.
Keyword(s): Collaborative Research, Conflict of Interest, Data Ownership,Data-sharing, Mentor-trainee Relationship, Patenting, Research Misconduct, Patenting
Based On: (Shamoo & Resnik, 2003, p.3)
Case: Jerel is a postdoctoral student in computer science working on some computer programs to be used in information transfer of electronic medical records. If successful, the research will result in patents and monetary gains. There are two other graduate students in the lab working with him on the project, but Jerel is leading the project. He essentially serves as the graduate students’ mentor even though a faculty member is technically assigned as their mentor. A research group from another university is interested in collaboration on this work, and has asked Jerel to share preliminary data from the project. The research group indicates that they would like to review his data in hopes of extending an offer for a faculty position with a generous compensation package.
- What are the key ethical issues in this case?
- What should Jerel do with respect to the proposed collaboration? Should he share the data?
- What responsibilities does Jerel have toward the other graduate students?
- How should Jerel respond to an offer of employment?
- Does Jerel have any obligations to the faculty mentor responsible for the project? If so, what are they?
Source: Shamoo, A., & Resnik, D. (2003). Responsible Conduct of Research. New York: Oxford University Press.