I would locate the chairperson or equivalent for the Principal Investigator in charge of the program and write to them, with a copy of both your original application and new proposal. If necessary, you could ask your own chairperson to write to that corresponding authority with the information. This kind of behavior needs to be made accountable.

Dorsaf Cheikh ,

"how can I prevent this situation from reoccuring in the future? How do you guarantee that a research proposal /idea doesn't get stolen when you discuss it with a new PI/ research group?"

This question often comes up with inventors and the anxiety of their invention being stolen. I have been on both sides of the matter, that is, as someone with inventions and as a receiver of information of IP. The first thing that I will tell other inventors is that I will not sign a non disclosure (NDA) nor will I request an NDA to introduce my inventions nor to explain them in a sales pitch (equivalent to presenting a proposal).

What is the rationale for doing so?

1) As someone who has intellectual property my interest lies in furthering my research and have no interest in stealing others work

2) It falls on the person presenting to state the case before I even consider signing a non disclosure

Then how does one present an idea and it does not get stolen?

The answer is that ideas by themselves are worthless, it is when they are reduced to a plan and are executed that the ideas acquire value

To present an idea you must present it in general terms so that you give enough information to the receiver, but not so much that every operational detail is handed over (that comes after the agreement that you are the chosen person or the step of having signed the NDA.

To move forward I would suggest that you elaborate research proposal with:

• objective
• personnel needed
• Total costs
• Statement of further details upon approval

Do not include things such as experimental design, references used and other details that will give away your strategy. Focus on the objective and the problem with enough detail to highlight the relevance. If you capture the research group attention then formalise it on email that you expect to be person that manages the proposal (do get it in writing to make it a binding agreement). If you decide at this point to send detailed information such as budget breakdown, experimental design (then put confidential label on every page as a watermark. Another alternative is to put a notice of pursuing copyright on the written work)

If you feel this is a strong measure, then you must reassess whether your proposal is thorough enough. The willingness to protect a plan or invention depends proportionately on the time and resource invested.

Hope this helps

It’s easy before you’ll start giving any information regarding your research you register in the court as a public document highlighting specific formulas etc .

Thais your need to know only, if it happens again you have a lawsuit against the abuser.

The problem in today’s world is lack of contract knowledge and time control within your education from corrupt individuals that prophet from humans like you.

there are somany Ideas in each branch . If you can offer an Idea which is intersting to other researcher . Its good and you should be happy of it.