Research Policies

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute believes that integrity, responsibility, and accountability are essential to the search for truth that lies at the heart of the scientific enterprise. The policies governing research by Hughes investigators and scientists at the Janelia Farm Research Campus establish high standards for scientific and ethical conduct. They are also intended to ensure that our research furthers the public good and set forth guidelines for making research materials, tools, and publications widely accessible within the scientific community and beyond.

The Conduct of Science
Sharing Research Tools, Data, Software and Other Materials
Research Collaborations
Funding From Companies
Confidentiality Agreements
Consulting
Intellectual Property and Licensing
Early Career Scientists
Human Subjects Research
Other Policies for HHMI Investigators
Other Policies for Janelia Laboratories

The Conduct of Science

Guidelines for Scientific Research

These guidelines describe general standards for conduct in research and scholarship. They are intended to establish a common understanding of expectations and responsibilities relating to research in HHMI's laboratories, thereby promoting the quality and integrity of the work and interactions in the laboratories and helping to prevent scientific misconduct.
Download the Policy (PDF 44kb, revised 03.28.2007)

Scientific Misconduct

As an organization dedicated to biomedical research in the public interest, HHMI expects that its scientists will conduct research and engage in related academic activities according to the highest scientific and ethical standards. HHMI’s commitment to these standards embraces the belief that integrity, responsibility, and accountability are part of the fabric of science. Scientific research is, ultimately, a cooperative endeavor based on the central principle of truth.
Download the Policy (PDF 72kb, revised 03.28.2007)

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Sharing Research Tools, Data, Software and Other Materials

Sharing of Publication-Related Materials, Data and Software

Publishing a scientific paper is a quid pro quo in which authors receive credit and establish priority in exchange for disclosure of their scientific findings. A responsibility of authorship is to make available materials, databases, and software integral to the publication so that others may validate or falsify the results and extend them in new directions. Indeed, the mission of HHMI is to move biomedical science forward, and broad dissemination of research tools and reagents created by its investigators very much supports that mission.
Download the Policy (PDF 64kb, revised 05.15.2007)

Research Tools

HHMI recognizes the importance of making research tools, also called research resources, available to the scientific community. For this reason, HHMI supports the National Institutes of Health guidelines on research resources, and will adhere to the following policy with respect to unique research resources arising in HHMI laboratories (“HHMI research tools”). This policy applies to HHMI laboratories at host institutions (“host-based laboratories”) and to laboratories at HHMI's Janelia Farm Research Campus (“Janelia”).
Download the Policy (PDF 48kb, revised 05.15.2007)

Public Access Publishing

This policy establishes HHMI's expectations relating to public accessibility of publications resulting from research in HHMI laboratories. This policy applies to all HHMI laboratory heads (i.e., investigators and, at Janelia Farm Research Campus, group leaders and fellows).
Download the Policy (PDF 64kb, effective 01.01.2008)
Resources in support of public access publishing

Materials Transfers

The sharing of biological and other research materials among laboratories is an essential aspect of scientific citizenship. In that spirit, HHMI expects its laboratory heads, and all members of the academic research community, to make such materials freely available for research use by other scientists, and to handle related requests expeditiously.
Download the Policy (PDF 45kb, revised 04.01.2013)

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Research Collaborations

Research Collaborations

HHMI recognizes the importance of scientific collaborations between its laboratories and other scientists, and strongly encourages such collaborations as an essential part of scientific research.
Download the Policy (PDF 37kb, revised 06.29.2012)

Research Collaboration Questionnaire

Download the Form (WORD 24kb, revised 08.27.2012)

Research Collaboration Agreement

Download the Form (WORD 68kb, revised 06.29.2012)

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Funding from Companies

Company Funding Arrangements—Host-Based Sites

HHMI’s host institutions may accept funding from companies to support research in the laboratories of HHMI investigators and early career scientists under the circumstances described in this policy.
Download the Policy (PDF 35kb, revised 04.10.2013)
HHMI Company Funding Questionnaire (Word 28kb)

Corporate Gift Letter Acceptable to HHMI

Download the Form (Word 44kb, revised 06.29.2012)

Corporate Gift Letter Acceptable to HHMI when Recipient is a Licensee

Download the Form (Word 44kb, revised 10.01.2008)

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Confidentiality Agreements

Confidential Disclosure Agreements

A confidential disclosure agreement (CDA) is an agreement in which one or both parties agree to maintain certain information in confidence and use it only for specified purposes. CDAs may also be called non-disclosure agreements, secrecy agreements, or confidentiality agreements.
Download the Policy (PDF 61kb, revised 06.05.2007)

CDA-Proposed Collaboration

Download the Form (Word 37kb, revised 06.01.2007)

CDA-Proposed Consulting

Download the Form (Word 37kb, revised 06.01.2007)

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Consulting

Consulting for Companies–General Policy (SC-500)

This policy provides general rules applicable to any service by HHMI laboratory heads as consultants to companies.
Download the Policy (PDF 116kb, revised 06.29.2012)
HHMI Consulting Questionnaire (Word 21kb)
HHMI Model Consulting Agreement (Word 27kb)
HHMI Uniform Consulting Agreement Provisions (Word 24kb)
Uniform Consulting Agreement Provisions for Venture Capital/Investment Firm Service (Word 23kb)
HHMI Consulting Policies Frequently Asked Questions (PDF 72kb)

Company Talks, Conferences, and Seminars (SC-510)

This policy applies to consulting that involves giving a talk to company employees or participating in a one- or two-day conference or seminar convened by a company.
Download the Policy (PDF 66kb, revised 12.7.2011)
Email for Transmitting Uniform Provisions for Seminars, Conferences and Talks at Companies (Word 26kb)
Uniform Provisions for Agreements in connection with Seminars, Conferences and Talks (Word 29kb)

Consulting for and Equity Ownership in Start-Up and other Private Companies (SC-520)

This policy describes the special rules applicable to consulting for, and equity ownership in, start-up and other private companies.
Download the Policy (PDF 136kb, revised 12.7.2011)
Start-Up Handbook (PDF 122kb)
Start-Up Company Consulting Questionnaire (Word 32kb)
HHMI Model Consulting Agreement (Word 27kb)
HHMI Uniform Consulting Agreement Provisions (Word 24kb)

Service as a Member of a Company's Board of Directors (SC-530)

This policy applies to service by HHMI laboratory heads as members of a company's board of directors.
Download the Policy (PDF 72kb, revised 12.7.2011)

Consulting in connection with Litigation (SC-540)

This policy applies to consulting by HHMI laboratory heads in connection with litigation, such as service as an expert witness.
Download the Policy (PDF 74kb, revised 12.7.2011)
Uniform Consulting Agreement Provisions for Expert Witness Service (Word 25kb)

Service to Non-Profit Organizations and Government Agencies (SC-550)

This policy describes special rules for consulting arrangements between HHMI laboratory heads and nonprofit entities or government organizations.
Download the Policy (PDF 76kb, revised 12.7.2011)

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Intellectual Property and Licensing

Intellectual Property

As a medical research organization, HHMI conducts scientific research in the public interest. HHMI has adopted this intellectual property policy to help ensure that inventions, discoveries, and other fruits of HHMI's research are made available for the benefit of the public, and that the associated financial costs and rewards are fairly allocated.
Download the Policy (PDF 56kb, revised 06.29.2012)

Intellectual Property Assignment Agreement

Download the Form (PDF 101kb, revised 06.29.2012)

Licensing by Host Institutions to Companies

This policy applies to the licensing to companies of intellectual property developed in HHMI laboratories at host institutions. Under HHMI's collaborative arrangements with its host institutions, the host institution is responsible for efforts to commercialize intellectual property developed in HHMI laboratories at the site.
Download the Policy (PDF 48kb, 06.29.2012)

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Early Career Scientists

This policy describes the application of HHMI's research policies and related guidance to those appointed by HHMI as early career scientists.
Download the Policy (PDF 33kb, 06.29.2012)

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Human Subjects Research

Human Subjects Research

This policy applies to all HHMI investigators and early career scientists, and all HHMI employees in their laboratories, who are engaged in or are contemplating becoming engaged in human subjects research.
Download the Policy (PDF 108kb, 06.29.2012)

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Other Policies for HHMI Investigators

The policies in this group apply to HHMI investigators only. The scientists at the Janelia Farm Research Campus are not subject to these policies.

Investigator Transfers

HHMI's expectation is that investigators will remain at the host institution at which they were initially appointed. However, any HHMI investigator who has completed a full initial term of employment with HHMI and been reviewed and reappointed for a full renewal term is eligible to request a transfer of an HHMI appointment.
Download the Policy (PDF 72kb, 09.01.2009)

Investigator Laboratories at Institutions Other than the Host Institution

HHMI believes that an investigator's scientific program is generally aided by concentration of the investigator's research activities in a single location, where these activities can be better managed and more effective. Similarly, concentration in a single location benefits an Investigator's non-research activities, including mentoring students and postdoctoral fellows and fulfilling responsibilities to the host institution. Accordingly, HHMI generally prefers that Investigators conduct their research program at a single host institution.
Download the Policy (PDF 51kb, revised 06.29.2012)

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Other Policies for Janelia Laboratories

Janelia Policy on Acceptance of Grants and Awards

Researchers who are visiting Janelia Farm Research Campus and who do have an affiliation with another research institution may have grant funding through their other institution, outside of the restrictions of this policy.
Download the Policy (PDF 962kb, 06.07.2010)

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