Reporting Alleged Mismanagement of Federal Funds

Notice to Employees

The National Defense Authorization Act, P.L. 112-239 (PDF) (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2013 established a four-year pilot program (July 1, 2013 through January 1 2017) for the enhancement of contractor and subcontractor employee protections from reprisal for disclosure of, “information that the employee reasonably believes is evidence of gross mismanagement of a Federal contract or grant, a gross waste of Federal funds, an abuse of authority relating to a Federal contract or grant, a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or a violation of law, rule, or regulation related to a Federal contract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract) or grant.”

What if I am unsure if it is actually mismanagement of federal funds?

If you are unsure whether a suspected incident falls within the definition of mismangement of federal funds you can contact the RIO to discuss it hypothetically.

Who should I report to?

Please contact the RIO at the Office of Research Integrity and Outreach (ORIO) the contact information for which is:

Ross Hickey, JD, CIP, CPIA
Assistant Provost for Research Integrity
7 Chamberlain Ave. Portland Campus
Contact Information
Phone: (207) 780-4340
Email: ross.hickey@maine.edu

At any time, a USM community member may have confidential discussions and consultations about concerns of possible misconduct with the RIO and will be counseled about appropriate procedures for reporting allegations.

What if I don’t want to be identified?

You have several options for discussing the suspected research misconduct, including discussing it anonymously and/or hypothetically.

If you wish to report the information anonymously:

1) one option is to create a new e-mail account, such as Yahoo or Juno, using pseudonyms and e-mailing the RIO directly at rhickey@usm.maine.edu, or

2) an alternative method is to send us a comment via our website without providing your name or contact information and with the subject “Alleged Management of Federal Funds,” or

3) Fill in the text box below and submit.

	(There is room for 1,000 characters/spaces)

What happens if it is not mismangement of federal funds?

If the circumstances described by the individual do not meet the definition of research misconduct, the RIO can still refer the individual or allegation to other offices or officials with responsibility for resolving the problem.