The NIH reports that the incidence of research misconduct is increasing. In a time when basic and biomedical science has never been more important to public welfare, it is critical that research is conducted at the highest standards of ethics and excellence. In response to this, UCSF and CCB have implemented a number of mechanisms to encourage responsible conduct of research (RCR), reproducibility of results and scientific rigor, not only in didactic courses, but throughout the training of each student. The goal of these programs is to establish of culture of ethics, in which student researchers formulate a sense of commitment to RCR.
RCR training in CCB occurs at multiple levels, including in the weekly student seminar series and the QBC journal club, which provide an opportunity for in-depth analysis and critique of recent scientific data. A section dedicated to RCR is included in the qualifying exam (in the student’s second year) and annual thesis meetings, where each student and their faculty committee work together to ensure that research is performed in an ethical and rigorous manner. Finally, all CCB graduate students enroll in a formal course that covers RCR topics, including data management and animal ethics. Learn more: Responsible Conduct of Research.
Ethics, scientific rigor and reproducibility are vital to the CCB mission. In addition to the RCR course, please see the following links to external resources that contain useful materials and guidelines about responsible conduct in research:
- Responsible Conduct of Research Training
- Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research
- Ethical & Professional Guidelines
- NIH Rigor and Reproducibility Resources:
- Training Modules - National Institute of Health (NIH) training modules include videos and discussion materials, and focus on integral aspects of research rigor and reproducibility, such as bias, blinding and exclusion criteria. The modules are not comprehensive but rather provide an overview and a way to stimulate conversations.
- Frequently Asked Questions - Cover response to inquiries on policies and programs affecting the grants process
- Guidance: Rigor and Reproducibility in Grant Applications - Learn how to address rigor and reproducibility in your grant application and discover what reviewers are looking for as they evaluate the application for scientific merit.
- NLM Tools for the Research Data Lifecycle - email class - covering data sharing, data analysis, and research dissemination. Sign up to receive a short lesson via email every few days, over the course of a couple of weeks.
- National Institute of Health DMP resources
- CURATED Training Modules
- C: Check Your Data
- U: Understand Your Data
- R: Request Missing Information
- A: Augment the Data Deposit
- T: Transform File Formats
- E: Evaluate the Overall Data Package
- D: Document for Curation