Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Null Compass, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to all of these Terms, you may not use our services.

2. Description of Service

Null Compass, offered by the Center for Biomedical Research Transparency (CBMRT), provides an AI-powered tool that helps biomedical researchers analyze, classify, frame, and publish negative or inconclusive research findings.

Our service includes a questionnaire, AI-based analysis, classification of research findings, recommendation of publication strategies and venues, and generation of draft abstracts.

3. User Responsibilities

When using Null Compass, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information when filling out our questionnaire
• Use our services only for legitimate biomedical research purposes
• Ensure that any research submitted through Null Compass has received and complied with all required ethics committee, institutional review board (IRB), or equivalent approvals where applicable
• Not use our services for any illegal or unauthorized purpose
• Not attempt to interfere with the proper functioning of our platform

CBMRT may request documentation or other information reasonably necessary to verify any required ethics committee, IRB, or equivalent approval, exemption, or determination that approval was not required.

4. Intellectual Property

The content, organization, graphics, design, and other matters related to Null Compass are protected under applicable copyrights, trademarks, and other proprietary rights.

User Research and Intellectual Property: As between you and Null Compass, you - or the applicable institution or other rights holder - retain all rights, title, and interest in the research information you submit, including all rights to publish, protect, license, commercialise, or otherwise exploit the research. Submitting research information does not transfer ownership of that information or any associated intellectual property rights to Null Compass.

You grant Null Compass limited, non-exclusive permission to store and process your submitted information only as reasonably necessary to provide the services you request, generate your results, administer and verify microgrant submissions, maintain the security and integrity of the service, and comply with applicable law. This permission does not allow us to publish, sell, license, commercialise, or otherwise exploit your research as an individual submission.

We will use research information for broader research, statistical analysis, service evaluation, or reporting only in de-identified and aggregated form, designed so that individual researchers, institutions, studies, and unpublished findings cannot reasonably be identified. We will not use retained research information in a way that competes with or prejudices your ability to publish, protect, commercialise, or otherwise exploit your research.

AI-Generated Content: The abstracts, recommendations, and analyses generated by our AI system are provided to you for inspiration. You may use, modify, and incorporate this guidance into your work without the need for attribution.

5. Privacy and Data Protection

We collect and process your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. Please review our Privacy Policy to understand our practices.

Providing Null Compass may involve transmitting submitted information to service providers that support secure hosting, data storage, email delivery, AI-assisted analysis, DOI verification, and platform security. These providers process information only for the functions they supply, as described in our Privacy Policy.

6. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

Our services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. Null Compass makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, regarding the operation of our services or the information, content, materials, or products included.

Use of AI-Generated Content: While our AI system is designed to provide high-quality analysis and abstracts, we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of AI-generated content for publication. You are responsible for reviewing, editing, and verifying any AI-generated content before using it in academic submissions.

Publication Success: We do not guarantee that using our service will result in successful publication of your research. Journal acceptance decisions are made by independent editors and reviewers.

7. Microgrant Program

CBMRT offers a $500 USD microgrant for each complete, verified qualifying submission received while program funds remain. No more than 200 microgrants will be awarded over the lifetime of the initiative. Submitting a request does not guarantee payment. Payment is not guaranteed unless and until it has been made.

Eligibility

• The work must be biomedical in vitro or in vivo research with material null or negative findings.
• The research must be registered through Null Compass before it is submitted for publication or pre-print and the submitted code must correspond to the published work.
• Where applicable, the research must have received and complied with all required ethics committee, IRB, or equivalent approvals.
• The applicant must be a verifiable author of the publication.
• The publication must have a valid, publicly resolvable DOI from a recognised journal or public preprint server.

Limits and Verification

• Each person may receive only one microgrant during the lifetime of the initiative.
• Only one author and one microgrant are permitted per publication, including publications with multiple authors. Authors are responsible for deciding who applies, and CBMRT is not required to mediate competing claims.
• A maximum of 200 grants will be awarded, subject to remaining availability. Submitting a code and DOI does not reserve funds.
• CBMRT has sole discretion to determine whether an applicant, finding, publication, DOI, journal, or preprint server qualifies.
• CBMRT may request evidence of identity, authorship, research registration, publication status, eligibility, required ethics committee or IRB approval, an applicable exemption or determination that approval was not required, and that the research described was genuinely undertaken. If CBMRT is not satisfied by the evidence provided, it may withhold payment.

Grant Conditions

• Microgrants are non-transferable and are intended for research-related activities such as promoting the work, conference attendance, travel, publication costs, training, software, or future research.
• Approved payments will be made through Wise to the international bank account nominated by the recipient. Recipients are responsible for providing accurate bank details and for all taxes, fees, charges, foreign-exchange costs, reporting, and legal obligations that apply to them. CBMRT is not responsible for those taxes, fees, charges, deductions, or losses.
• By accepting a microgrant, recipients authorise CBMRT to identify and promote them, their affiliation, their qualifying publication, and the award through CBMRT's website, newsletter, social media, press, and other communications without further consent. Private contact, tax, and payment information remains confidential except where disclosure is required by law.

CBMRT may amend, suspend, or end the initiative at any time due to funding, policy, legal, or operational considerations. Approval or written confirmation does not guarantee payment before the transfer through Wise has been completed.

8. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will provide notice of significant changes by posting the updated Terms on our website. Your continued use of Null Compass after such modifications constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

9. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact the Center for Biomedical Research Transparency (CBMRT) at support@cbmrt.org.