Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center offers an annual course called the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) designed to meet the needs of its research trainees. The course is a collaborative effort of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the division of Research and Technology Management. It is required for all first-year graduate students, first-year postdoctoral researchers, and fellows in clinical fellowship programs (at the discretion of the program director), in addition to individuals appointed to certain federally funded training programs or projects.
Course Goals and Objectives:
Awareness:
Heighten awareness of participants to ethical considerations relevant to the conduct of research.
Knowledge:
Inform participants of federal, state, and institutional policies, regulations, and procedures.
Skills:
Provide participants with critical analysis and problem-solving skills for ethical decision making.
Course Components and Criteria
Participants are required to complete the eight online topic modules, which includes a ten question short answer exam for each topic, and to attend all four live sessions, which include: an Orientation plus three focused topic sessions, within a four month period. Participants are also asked to complete a short survey during the orientation and at the end of the last session to assess whether the course goals and objectives were met.
Modules
- Research Misconduct (including whistleblowing and dispute resolution)
- Data Management
- Use of Animal Subjects
- Use of Human Subjects
- Conflicts of Interest
- Authorship
- Publication and Peer Review
- Collaboration and Mentoring
