Security, Integrity and Compliance

The mission of MIT is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century. The Institute is committed to generating, disseminating, and preserving knowledge, and to working with others to bring this knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges.

MIT has a responsibility to ensure that its teaching and research environment fosters the generation of new knowledge and positive learning opportunities for students and preserves the integrity of its research enterprise and the public’s trust.

  • MIT expects that all researchers at MIT carry out their work according to the highest ethical and professional standards. Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research Training is a framework for imparting these standards, and a critical component of scholarly and career development.

  • MIT policy requires that MIT officers, faculty, and staff and others acting on its behalf avoid or mitigate real or perceived financial conflicts of interest and ensure that their Outside Professional Activities and interests do not conflict with their obligations to MIT or its welfare.

  • Research misconduct can take many forms, including fabrication or falsification of data, theft of ideas or direct plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. It also includes deliberate interference with the integrity of the work of others.

  • Other behaviors can threaten the integrity of the research enterprise but do not fall under the definition of Academic and Research Misconduct. These offenses may violate statutes or Institute policy and are addressed through established mechanisms.