There are compelling reasons for academic medical centers to expand their present institutional compliance programs (which are for their hospitals and faculty practice plans) into their other programs, including research. Similarly, other academic institutions with research programs (e.g., universities) should expand or institute programs of compliance for research. Such research compliance programs should be established because (1) the culture in academic :institutions, specifically in academic medical centers, has several characteristics (e.g., undefined roles and responsibilities, decentralized administration possible conflict-of-interest situations) that can create compliance risks; and (2) several academic; institutions, including academic medical centers, have experienced compliance issues related to their research enterprises. The authors set forth these and reasons in detail, answer key questions about te risk and benifits of a research compliance program, explain a program, discuss its elements, describe the experiences of academic institutions that have such programs, and comment on the other positive outcomes that research compliance programs can foster for an academic institution.
