Jocelyn Kaiser
A set of sweeping proposals for changing the way the federal government handles allegations of scientific misconduct, put forward last year by the congressionally appointed Commission on Research Integrity, is getting a decidedly mixed reception in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). An internal working group has backed away from several of the commission's key recommendations, including a new definition of misconduct that has already drawn sharp criticism from several scientific organizations. The next step is up to HHS Secretary Donna Shalala.