OTTAWA--The Canadian Federation of Students is arguing in federal court today that the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) erred in its dismissal of research misconduct allegations pertaining to a drinking water experiment with human subjects.

"Research in Canada's public universities should be held to the highest possible ethical standard," said Angela Regnier, past National Deputy Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students and affiant in the case. "Canada's granting councils must actively pursue their role in maintaining research integrity and accurate reporting of research results."

In July 2006, the Federation filed an application for a judicial review of NSERC's decision regarding a complaint about an experiment conducted by University of Toronto researchers on the citizens of Wiarton, Ontario. The Federation argued that NSERC erred in interpreting its legal obligations when it dismissed the Federation's request for an investigation. A positive outcome from today's review would require NSERC to request that the University of Toronto investigate the Wiarton experiment complaints.

News releases and a journal article published by researchers involved in the Wiarton experiments omitted important information that contradicted a key finding and that was unfavourable for the researchers and the chemical company that helped sponsor the experiments.

"The nature of the alleged misconduct raises questions about the relationship between some university researchers and their corporate sponsors," said Regnier. "If research results were altered to satisfy the sponsors, it is a violation of the most sacred academic principles."

The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada's largest student organisation. It is composed of over 80 university and college students' associations in ten provinces with a combined membership of over one-half million students.