January 2022 Responsible Conduct of Research

December 10, 2021

We are pleased to invite you to register for the FAS January 2022 Responsible Conduct of Research course.

Dates: January 3 through 28, 2022

Format: A four-week course, delivered via Zoom and HTP.

Each week includes 90-120-minute webinar and 60-minute case study discussion sessions. Multiple weekly case study session options will be offered to facilitate scheduling.

Registration Information: This course can be found in the Harvard Training Portal (HTP). Registration can be accessed via this link. Schedule options will be shared via welcome email in December.

Course Description: Drawing on faculty and staff across Harvard University and using case studies to understand implications for practice, this course aims to:

  1. develop, foster, and maintain a culture of integrity in science,
  2. empower researchers to hold themselves and others accountable to high ethical standards,
  3. improve the ability to make responsible choices when faced with ethical dilemmas involving research,
  4. provide an appreciation for the range of accepted scientific practices for conducting research,
  5. inform scientists and research trainees about the regulations, policies, statutes, and guidelines that govern the conduct of federally funded research and promote compliance with the same, and
  6. promote a career-long positive attitude toward research ethics and the responsible conduct of research (Adapted from the NIH Office of Intramural Research).

 

Topics covered include Research Misconduct; Scientific Publication and Communication; Authorship and Peer Review; Data Practices and Management; Rigor, Reproducibility and Transparency; Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer; Declaration of Financial and Personal Conflicts of Interest; International Research Collaboration and Foreign Influence; Mentor-Mentee Relationships; Title IX/Sexual and Gender-based Harassment; Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in the Research Environment; and Wellness for Researchers.

Course requirements include viewing a weekly webinar, participation in weekly case study discussions, and the completion of course surveys and readings. A certificate will be issued to all participants upon successful course completion.

Target Audience: The Harvard University RCR course is open to all Harvard-affiliated researchers and research staff. RCR is a highly recommended “best practices” course for those eager to deepen their knowledge and identify resources to conduct their research and scholarly work responsibly and with the highest degree of excellence and integrity. This course fulfills the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) requirements for formal RCR instruction, required for the following trainees:

  • For NIH researchers: All undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, and dissertation research grant must receive instruction in responsible conduct of research (e.g., grant mechanisms D43, D71, F05, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F37, F38, K01, K02, K05, K07, K08, K12, K18, K22, K23, K24, K25, K26, K30, K99/R00, KL1, KL2, R25, R36, T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T90/R90, TL1, TU2, and U2R).
  • For NSF researchers: NSF expects institutions to be able to verify that those students (undergraduates and graduates) and postdoctoral researchers who receive NSF funds (support from salary and/or stipends to conduct research on NSF grants) will obtain RCR training.

Please share this information with any potential staff, students, or postdoctoral fellows who fall under these requirements. Contact Roanne Bosch for more details. For other questions related to RCR training, please contact Stacey Springs.