This policy sets forth the general principles which govern the conduct of research and other projects and determine the criteria for the acceptance of sponsored project funding. This policy pertains to all research and projects conducted under the auspices of Boston College whether or not funded by an external sponsor.
Society depends on universities to extend the boundaries of knowledge.
Boston College, therefore, has a commitment to support productive scholarship which contributes to that end. This commitment includes support of creative work in the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, and generally of research related to societal good. Those who are engaged in scholarly investigation should be objective in determining subject matter and obtaining conclusions of their research and not be committed to a particular course of action or end result. Consequently, Boston College is obliged to provide an atmosphere for conducting such research. The University Research Council was formed to clarify the place of research in the University, to provide optimal conditions for obtaining research support, to facilitate the fulfillment of the research commitments of the University, and to help in integrating research and educational endeavors.