Research & Regulatory Affairs
Conducting Research at UD
Our team oversees and advances UD’s strong culture of compliance with federal, state and University policies and regulations across the spectrum of the University’s research-related activities. We are responsible for the review, negotiation and establishment of research agreements, and the administrative transfer of research materials to and from UD. Whether you’re a first-timer or a veteran at developing research proposals, you will find the tools you need here to prepare your proposal, manage your grant, protect your great ideas and inventions, and present your results to the scientific community and the public.

Sean Hayes
Interim Associate Vice President, Research and Regulatory Affairs
Research Integrity
Ensuring responsible conduct of research and upholding the highest ethical standards.
Safety
The UD Office for Environmental Health and Safety distributes information made to ensure safe research practices are followed
Research Security
UD Best Practices and Resources.
Intellectual Property
Counsel on the disclosure of innovations, patents, copyrights, trademarks and other research-related agreements.
Export Regulations
Oversight & administration of regulations regarding UD research and its impact on economic and trade sanctions.
Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs
Federal regulations for research compliance regarding malign foreign talent recruitment programs (MFTRP)
Human Subjects
Research involving human subjects, bio specimens and/or tissue samples, and/or private identifiable data
Animal Subjects
Federal regulations require use of non-human vertebrate animals in research, teaching and testing follow established guidelines.
Recombinant DNA in Research
Work involving recombinant DNA must be approved by the UD Biosafety Committee and the Biosafety Officer
- Animal Subjects
- Bayh-Dole Act
- Biological Safety
- Chemical Hygiene Program
- Data Transfer and Use Agreement
- Environmental Health and Safety
- Export Controls and Trade Sanctions Memo
- Export Regulations
- Faculty Handbook
- Forms
- Human Subjects
- Mentoring Statement for Postdocs
- Misconduct in Research
- Principles of Responsible Conduct
- Policies
- Procedures
- Radiation Safety
- Ratner Prestia
- Recombinant DNA
- Research Security
- Researcher Roles and Responsibilities
- UD Cost Accounting Standards Guidelines
Compliance Hotline:
Reporting a Concern
UD is committed to high ethical standards and enforcing its policies, procedures and all applicable legal requirements.
The UD Compliance Hotline, serviced by EthicsPoint, provides an anonymous, confidential and independent resource for reporting suspected misconduct and other issues of concern in the workplace.
- Integrity
- Code of Conduct
- Responsible Conduct
- Misconduct
- Conflict of Interest
- Ethics
Integrity
Research Integrity at UD
The University of Delaware is committed to promoting and protecting the responsible pursuit of scientific research. UD faculty and students are obligated to practice intellectual honesty and to observe established professional standards in their fields at all times, from the formulation of proposals, to their interactions with research associates and students, to the collection, handling and evaluation of data, to the peer review process, and the protection and presentation of results.
All members of the UD research community are expected to follow the highest ethical standards and are encouraged to report any concerns they may have by contacting the Interim Associate Vice President for Research & Regulatory Affairs in the UD Research Office directly, or the Compliance Hotline.
UD policy and Federal requirements (Pilot Program) prohibit retaliation against an individual making a misconduct allegation in good faith.
UD Research Compliance & Ethics Program
The University of Delaware (UD or University), its faculty, staff and students are committed to conducting their research and scholarly endeavors with the highest ethical standards. Consistent with federal government guidelines and requirements, and with widely-recognized best practices to achieve the responsible conduct of research, the University has developed, conducts and maintains current an effective Research Compliance & Ethics Program (RCEP). In doing so, UD exercises due diligence to prevent, detect and correct any research-related conduct that is not consistent with government and best-practice collective tenets. Additionally, the University creates and promotes, in an ongoing fashion, an institution-wide culture that encourages behavior/conduct that is ethical, complaint and in accord with applicable research-related requirements, guidelines and best practices.

Responsibilities of a Principal Investigator
Serving as a Principal Investigator (PI) at the University of Delaware brings significant rewards & confers concomitant responsibilities. PIs are responsible for the intellectual direction of research and scholarship and for the education and training of students. In carrying out these critical tasks, PIs are also responsible for compliance with laws and regulations that touch on all aspects of the research enterprise.
To ensure compliance with applicable rules, regulations, and contract requirements the University of Delaware requires all PIs to receive training in the financial management of sponsored projects. Developed for PIs already at the University, the University's training program focuses on stewardship of funds, mandatory reporting requirements and particularized training in the fundamentals of federal grant and contract accounting. PIs must complete mandatory training before the University will release project funding.
Code of Conduct
Responsible Conduct
Misconduct
Conflict of Interest
Ethics
- Overview
- Patents
- Copyright
- Trademarks
- Trade Secrets
- Tangible Materials
- Data
Overview
Intellectual Property Overview
The Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships (OEIP) is responsible for the management of all intellectual property developed at the University of Delaware. In this role, OEIP provides advice and counsel to UD faculty and staff regarding the disclosure of innovations, patents, copyrights, trademarks, contracts and other research-related agreements. Make sure you understand how to protect your research results and who owns the data generated in UD research. Review this guide for a helpful introduction.
Patents protect inventions and improvements to existing inventions. Copyrights cover literary, artistic and musical works. Trademarks are brand names and/or designs which are applied to products or used in connection with services.
What Is an Invention?
What is an invention, and who owns the inventions made by UD faculty, staff or students?
The University of Delaware Policies and Procedures Manual defines an invention as follows:
“An invention shall constitute any discovery, machine, new and useful process, article of manufacture, composition of matter, life form, design, algorithm, software program, or concept that may have commercial value. University faculty, staff or students employed by the University who discover or invent or develop a device, product, plant variety, method or work while associated with the University must cooperate with the University in defining and establishing the rights to such inventions, works, materials and data.”
It is the policy of the University of Delaware that “all inventions and discoveries, together with any tangible research materials, know-how, and the scientific data and other records of research including any related government protections (collectively “Intellectual Property”), which are conceived or reduced to practice or developed by University faculty, staff, or students in the course of employment at the University, or result from work directly related to professional or employment responsibilities at the University, or from work carried out on University time, or at University expense, or with the substantial use of University resources, shall be the property of the University.”
The University of Delaware is required by law to report its inventions made under federal grants/contracts to the agency, and may elect to own and promote them for commercialization. If you are a UD researcher with an invention to protect, please review these policies and forms and contact the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office of the UD Research Office for more information.
Patents
Copyright
Trademarks
Trade Secrets
Tangible Materials
Data
- Federal Regulations
- Sponsor Policies
- MFTRP Definitions
- Policy
Federal Regulations
Sponsor Policies
Implementation of federal agency policies:
Effective October 1, 2024, NASA requires the University to certify at the time of proposal submission that all senior/key personnel associated with the proposal have been made aware of and have complied with their responsibility under 42 U.S.C. § 19232 to certify that they are not a party to a MFTRP. NASA has adopted the use of the common forms for the Biographical Sketch and Current & Pending Other Support, which include a required MFTRP certification and signature. Further, NASA requires that the University ensure that senior/key personnel certify annually that they are not a party to a MFTRP. More information is available here.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) MFTRP policy was implemented in the NSF 24-1 Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and is effective May 20, 2024:
- Chapter 1.E.3(b) states that individuals who are a party to a MFTRP are not eligible to serve as a senior/key person on an NSF proposal, or on any award made after May 20, 2024.
- Chapter II.D.1.e(ii) implements the required MFTRP certification for each individual identified as a member of senior/key personnel.
- Chapter II.B incorporates the required MFTRP certification for senior/key into the Biosketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support documents, to be submitted at the time of proposal and prior to award, and annually for the life of the award.
- Chapter II.D.1.d(ix) enacts the organizational MFTRP certification, to be included in the proposal Certifications and Representations at the time of submission.
Effective August 9, 2024, the Department of Defense (DOD) is prohibited from providing funding to or awarding a research proposal in which a senior/key person is participating in a MFTRP, or to a proposing institution that does not have a policy addressing MFTRP pursuant to the CHIPS and Science Act.
Per DOE O 486.1A, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) prohibits contractor personnel, including University researchers funded by DOE contracts or subcontracts, from participating in Foreign Government-Sponsored Talent Recruitment Programs of a Foreign Country of Risk (which currently includes China, North Korea, Russia and Iran).
MFTRP Definitions
Policy
ASSISTANCE
Compliance Hotline
Phone: (302) 831-2792
E: UD IRB Office
P: (302) 831-2137
F: (302) 831-2828
GOVERNMENT SPONSOR LINKS
- State of Delaware
- US Government
- Dept of Education Grant Opportunities
- Dept of Agriculture
- Dept of Health and Human Services (HRSA) Open Opportunitiess
- Dept of Commerce
- Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Funding
- Dept of Defense
- Dept of Veterans Affairs (VA) Funding
- Dept of Energy
- Dept of Homeland Security
- Dept of Justice
- Dept of Labor
- Dept of State
- Dept of the Interior
- Dept of Transportation
- Dept of Treasury
- Delaware EPSCoR Funding Opportunities
- Federal Govt Grants (Grants.Gov) Grants
- NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) Research Opportunities
- National Archives Grant Program
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Funding Opportunities
- National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Grants
- National Endowment of Arts Grants
- National Institute of Health (NIH) Grants and Funding
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Funding Opportunities
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Funding Opportunities
- National Science Foundation (NSF) Funding
- NSF Office of Integrative Activities (OIA) Funding Opportunities