Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center offers an annual course called the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) each fall, 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 federally funded (NIH, NSF) 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 nine online topic modules, which include a ten question short answer exam for each module, and to attend all four live sessions (8 hours) - an Orientation plus three small group case study discussion sessions. Participants are asked to complete a short pre-survey prior to the orientation and a post-survey after the conclusion of the last session to assess whether the course goals were met.
Modules
- Research Misconduct (including whistleblowing and dispute resolution)
- Data Acquisition, Management, Sharing and Ownership, and Safe Laboratory Practices
- Use of Animal Subjects
- Use of Human Subjects
- Conflicts of Interest
- Authorship and Publication
- Peer Review
- Collaboration and Mentoring
- The Scientist and Social Responsibility
For more information, contact the course director, Debra Schaller-Demers, MSOM at schalled@mskcc.org
