Research Integrity Seminar

Information

Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research is an essential component of research training that must occur in labs throughout scientists' careers, often with the PI serving as a role model.

This seminar will be a heightened discussion on the numerous ethical considerations that occur while conducting scientific research, led by an expert from the Division of Education and Integrity at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Research Integrity.

All investigators and lab members at BNI have completed the 'Ethical Conduct of Research' course from Weill Cornell's Office of Research Integrity, which course highlights critical reminders about what are research integrity and research misconduct.

In 1989, NIH published its first notice of policy concerning instruction in responsible conduct of research in the NIH Guide. In the ensuing years, there have been a number of developments related to instruction in responsible conduct of research. The scientific community has responded by developing innovative courses, workshops, research projects on instruction in responsible conduct of research, and instructional materials. Congress has enacted laws establishing the Office of Research Integrity to promote integrity in biomedical and behavioral research supported by the U.S. Public Health Service. The NIH Institutes and Centers, NIH peer review committees, and the scientific communities participating in NIH research have all evolved standards for what constitutes responsible conduct of research and an acceptable plan for instruction in this area. Federal Regulations define Research Misconduct as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research or in reporting research results.

The goal of this discussion is: 1) to foster a more thorough understanding of research integrity policy and procedure, 2) to clarify policy questions and reporting mechanisms, 3) to recognize best practices for data analysis and storage, 4) to highlight exceptional examples of research integrity. A thorough understanding promotes solid research skills and prevents research misconduct.