At FluentPet, we are committed to advancing the scientific understanding of animal cognition and communication through rigorous, transparent, and ethical research practices. As a company founded by researchers, we strongly believe in upholding the highest standards of scientific integrity.

Our key principles are:

1. Independent Oversight: We have established an independent Scientific Integrity Review Board (SIRB) comprising leading experts in cognitive science, veterinary animal behavior, and computational neuroscience. The SIRB monitors adherence to our principles and helps ensure the credibility of our work.
2. Transparency and Disclosure: We require all FluentPet associates involved in research to disclose any potential conflicts of interest to the SIRB. We believe in transparency both within our organization and with the broader scientific community.
3. Open Science: We are committed to openly sharing the data and insights gained from the growing community of FluentPet learners. We believe that collaboration and data sharing are essential for scientific advancement in this nascent field.
4. Ethical Research Practices: All of our research is conducted with strict adherence to ethical guidelines for animal welfare and research integrity. Our research associates prioritize the wellbeing of the animals in their care, under the review of Institutional Review Boards and/or Institutional Animal Care & Use Committees.
5. Scientific Objectivity: Our research is conducted with scientific objectivity, free from influence by FluentPet's commercial interests. We ensure that our commercial products and services have no impact on how researchers we are associated with analyze data or arrive at conclusions. 
6. Learning from History: We acknowledge the complex history of animal language research and the importance of maintaining credibility through rigorous, unbiased research practices. We are committed to learning from the past and upholding the trust of the scientific community and the public.

Through these principles, we aim to responsibly advance the scientific understanding of interspecies communication while maintaining the highest standards of research integrity. We believe that open, ethical science is the path forward in this exciting field, and we are dedicated to contributing to its progress.

In adherence to these principles, FluentPet has adopted the Conflict of Interest policy presented below.

Conflict of Interest Policy for Academic Research 

1. Purpose and Scope

FluentPet's Conflict of Interest policy exists to mitigate issues associated with lack of trust and to ensure that FluentPet maintains, and is understood to maintain, the highest reasonable standards of integrity in its support or performance of scientific research.

As a company, FluentPet is inescapably involved in one of the most historically fraught research endeavors of the past hundred years: the study of "animal language", a topic that has been the subject of both significant popular attention and “debunking” with the result being distrust and profound skepticism within the academy. FluentPet stands to furthermore benefit from positive results in this area, further increasing the need to take measures to increase trust.  

Agreement with and adherence to this policy are required of all FluentPet Associates. 

2. Definitions

“Conflict of Interest” A situation in which an individual's or organization's personal, financial, or professional interests could potentially influence, or appear to influence, their judgment, decisions, or actions in conducting or reporting research. This includes scenarios where there may be a direct or indirect benefit to the individual or organization from the research outcomes.

“Research Integrity” The adherence to ethical, legal, and professional standards and practices in the conduct of research. This encompasses honesty in proposing, performing, and reporting research; accountability in the management of research; professional courtesy and fairness in working with others; and good stewardship of research on behalf of others.

“Financial Interest” Any financial benefit or potential for profit that may accrue to an individual or organization as a result of the research conducted. This includes, but is not limited to, employment, consultancy, stock ownership, honoraria, paid authorship, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding.

“FluentPet Associate” A FluentPet employee, advisor, or contractor with whom FluentPet has an executed agreement, as well as any party to whom FluentPet is providing privileged access to FluentPet data. 

3. Principles of Conduct

  Any FluentPet Associate who is performing or supporting academic research has an obligation to do so in a way that upholds, and is seen as upholding, the highest standards of research integrity. They are required to perform this work as though they are entirely independent of FluentPet's commercial interests and working within an unconnected academic research organization. 

4. Disclosure Requirements

 When a conflict of interest arises every FluentPet Associate has an obligation to disclose this conflict to the FluentPet Scientific Integrity Review Board (SIRB), an independent self-governing body, and to indicate whether a) he or she can make, and will commit to making, Research Integrity the superseding priority, or b) that he or she cannot proceed in an unbiased way. FluentPet commits to there being no negative repercussions for either choice. 

As an organization, FluentPet is obligated to report employee, contractor, and research associate involvement in academic research on a yearly basis to the FluentPet Scientific Integrity Review Board, including percentage of time dedicated and the projects with which they were involved.  Employees, contractors, and research associates are required to report to the Scientific Integrity Review Board (sirb@fluent.pet) all actual and potential conflicts of interest they observe relating to scientific research, as well as any instances in which they experience or observe influence from individuals within FluentPet that they believe could precipitate or were designed to precipitate a lowering in standards of research integrity. Any individual within FluentPet can make such a disclosure confidentially to the Chair, and the Board can convene to discuss the matter in camera, with FluentPet officers absent.

5. Assent and Acknowledgment 

By signing this document you are acknowledging and assenting to the above, and recognize the obligations of the preservation of research integrity and to disclose if and when you observe or experience anything that could lead to its being undermined.