Abstract

Introduction: The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) was founded in 2009 and a decade later was ranked 8th amongst the fastest rising young universities for research output since 2015. In 2014, KAUST promulgated a Code for The Responsible Conduct of Research Policy. This policy underwent five revisions in less than a year, which is indicative of a changing environment. At KAUST, we uphold the principle that research integrity thrives in a positive research culture and so is committed to enhancing the environment in which research integrity is maintained. The focus of this abstract, therefore, is on the evolution and maturation process in an institution from informal to formalized approaches. However, the sparse regulatory environment requires one to lean heavily on international best practices. This warrants one to be selective and focus on the underlying principles and not to replicate the associated bureaucracy.

Method: The nature of research administration and management, including research compliance, could be described as “change is the only constant”. To ensure compliance in a changing environment, the Vice-President for Research requested a methodical review of the Code for The Responsible Conduct of Research Policy, which led to the KAUST Research Integrity (RI) Policy. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the challenges and opportunities that we experienced to produce an operational RI Policy that is aligned with national laws, especially the Saudi-Arabia Labor Laws, and international best practices and standards. These standards include, for example, the Singapore Statement (2010). As a Research Compliance Team, we led the development of our RI Policy through collaboration with internal stakeholders and external consultants. From a strategic perspective, having those challenges identified through in-depth consultation and collaboration resulted in a simplified policy. The significant revisions were well-received and endorsed by senior leadership.

Findings: These revisions have resulted in a simplified RI Policy – a policy that would be operational and effective to achieve its ultimate goal i.e., promote a culture of integrity by KAUST research community in the institution and beyond.

Conclusion: Through a presentation, we will demonstrate the intense process of reviewing a research integrity policy at institutional level by following an inclusive approach. We will highlight some of the challenges and opportunities in making such a policy operational to ensure due diligence and good governance of research compliance administration at KAUST. Finally, it is evident that research professionals are fulfilling an important role in facilitating the review and implementation process to bring about an operational Research Integrity Policy.

Learning outcomes:
1. Explore policy as a tool to ensure clarity, transparency and accountability
2. Use policy strategically to promote responsible conduct of research
3. Understand the potential benefits of close collaboration with stakeholders, especially senior leadership involvement throughout the process
4. Measure impact of policy relevance over time
5. Discover lessons learned from the perspective of being preventative instead of reactive
6. Understand the role of research management professionals in facilitating policy review and development to ensure compliance with national laws, and international guidelines and best practices.