“Scientific research misconduct is a serious ethical and legal issue that can result in significant costs to research institutions and be detrimental to the careers of scientists accused of research fraud. Recent stories about misconduct in connection with COVID-19 research highlights the importance of research integrity and accountability. This panel will address the processes and procedures used by institutional research integrity officers and government agencies to investigate allegations of fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism, will provide insight into how sanctions are determined and when cases are referred for criminal prosecution, and will provide best practices for defending researchers accused of misconduct.”