The Office of Research Compliance, Integrity and Safety

The Office of Research Compliance, Integrity and Safety (ORCIS) at NIU was established to help researchers and the University as a whole, to achieve and maintain ethical principles and maintain compliance with federal, state and university regulations governing research. The office acts as a liaison between the Vice President for Research (the Institutional Official designated with oversight of compliance) and the various committees required to monitor research activities.

Specifically, ORCIS assists the NIU research community in maintaining high ethical standards and adhering to regulatory requirements by:

  • Identifying research-related compliance risks and alerting our research community about those risks
  • Working with our research community to manage and minimize research risks
  • Providing education about regulatory requirements and best practices used to comply with them
  • Providing education and training that promotes an ethical research environment and the Responsible Conduct of Research
  • Handling instances of non-compliance or misconduct in accord with University policy and federal guidelines

In pursuit of these objectives and fulfillment of our mission, ORCIS shares the core values of the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships:

  • Excellence
  • Ethical and accountable conduct
  • Academic integrity and regulatory compliance
  • A diverse and inclusive community of people, ideas and research initiatives

Year-end Reports