Basic Science RCR Boilerplate Text

Responsible Conduct of Research in Basic Science

Instructional Team Lecture Lead: Tori Sharma, Research Administration and Compliance
E-mail: [email protected]

UCSF Program Lead: Chequeta Allen, Assistant Dean for Postdoctoral Scholars
E-mail: [email protected]

Course Description The purpose of this course is to ensure that basic science research trainees are well-versed concerning training in responsible conduct of research (RCR). Attendees also gain an understanding of federal, state, and UCSF policies and resources available to further support their research endeavors.

Faculty Discussion Section Leaders:

Each learner will be assigned a faculty facilitator for six (6) 90-minute-discussion group Zoom sessions and will be notified of which faculty facilitator group to join for their discussion sections prior to session date.

UCSF Faculty Discussion Section Leaders

UCSF Lecturers

Required Materials and Format: The course will use PollEverywhere to make class time more engaging. This will give postdocs the chance to participate and increase engagement in the class. Participating in the PollEverywhere part of the class will be counted towards the final grade. Attendance and engagement will be monitored. Attendance is required, and participation in in-class activities is expected to be 75% or higher. Scholars are required to participate with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. QR codes and URLs will be displayed for each PollEverywhere poll. Scholars are required to complete advance readings before each 75-minute lecture. Scholars are required to participate in all the Zoom discussion sessions. If a Scholar misses a Zoom session, speak to the facilitator about make-up requirements.

Course Description: This 8-session course aims to ensure that basic science research trainees are well-versed concerning training in responsible conduct of research (RCR). Attendees also gain an understanding of federal, state, and UCSF policies and resources available to further support their research endeavors. Course meetings include lectures, case studies, and group discussions. Discussion section meetings include case studies and interactive group discussions in smaller groups

Learning Outcomes: In this course – Scholars will:

  • Learn and share best practices for promoting rigor and reproducibility in research, authorship and publication, and mentorship through workshop style activities with your peers.
  • Discover and practice strategies for promoting diverse research communities free of harassment and non-inclusive behaviors.
  • Discuss and analyze current ethical research topics surrounding human subjects.
  • Review best practices for data management and understand new federal data sharing requirements.
  • Learn to identify potential conflicts of interest and how to report and manage them.
  • Become familiar with important concepts and reporting requirements for research security including export controls, dual use research, foreign influence, and data security.
  • Employ strategies to avoid authorship disputes and questionable publication practices.
  • Understand the importance of peer review and generate responsible peer reviews.

Session 1: Rigor and Reproducibility in Research, Tori Sharma (75 min)

  • Factors affecting reproducibility.
  • The best practices in rigor and reproducibility
  • Anonymous survey on misconduct and reproducibility
  • Statistical analysis of biological data (UCSF Library Statistics and Big Data Analytics Workshops and Courses)

Session 2: Responsible and Ethical Research, Tori Sharma (75 min)

  • Addressing questionable research practices
  • Contemporary ethical issues in biomedical research
  • Social and environmental impacts of research
  • Scientists as responsible members of society
  • Effective collaboration in research
  • New guidance on foreign influence and research security

Session 3: Responsible Data Management, Tori Sharma and Ariel Dierdorff (75 min)

  • Best practices in data management - qualitative and quantitative
  • New federal sharing requirements
  • Developing a data management plan (DMP)
  • Data transparency information from Nature and Cell Press journals (refer to comprehensive checklists)
  • Data sharing during PI transitions

Session 4: Human Subjects Research and Laboratory Animals, Tori Sharma (75 min)

  • Human subjects research-- COVID-19 Vaccines and CRISPR therapies
  • Informed consent monitoring
  • Protection of laboratory animals and the role of postdocs in animal welfare
  • Approved lab researchers and IACUC protocols
  • Policies and best practices on laboratory safety, biosafety, and animal research subjects

Session 5: Authorship, Publication, and Peer Review, Tori Sharm and Anneliese Taylor (75 min)

  • Best practices in authorship and publication- workshop
  • Ethics and ownership of discoveries
  • New guidance on text recycling
  • Practicing responsible peer review and becoming a reviewer
  • Open AI, generative AI and plagiarism

Session 6: Developing Inclusive Research Communities, Denise Caramagno and Kendra Hypolite, UCSF CARE (75 min)

  • Racism and discrimination in Science
  • Prevention of sexual harassment and violence
  • Appropriate support and management of postdocs with disabilities
  • Bullying, civility, harassment, and inappropriate behavior in research environments

Session 7: Ethical Behavior in Mentoring Research Trainees, Naledi Saul (90 min)

  • Appropriate mentoring and lab relationships between PIs and postdocs
  • Strategies for having difficult conversations
  • Resolving conflicts and communicating with impact
  • Mentor/mentee responsibilities and relationships
  • Mentoring frameworks and self-advocacy

Session 8: UCSF Postdoc Trainee Ethics and Compliance Conflicts of Interest, Ivana Neff and Thomas Lang (90 min)

  • Understand UCSF COI requirements for postdocs UPAY585
  • Personal
  • Professional
  • Financial
  • Postdoc outside professional activity at UCSF
  • Building a career-long positive attitude toward research ethics

Offered to all UCSF postdocs and faculty who conduct basic science research, Basic Science RCR is an eight-session course designed to satisfy NIH and NSF requirements for training in the responsible conduct of research. Basic Science RCR utilizes a combination of faculty presentations and in-person case study discussions to address contemporary debates at the interface between biomedical science and society. Basic Science RCR is offered annually during the winter quarter, meeting weekly for eight weeks. Registration for the course opens in the preceding November/December. In addition to in-person lectures and discussion groups, postdocs will be given access to additional resources and can participate in an online ethics forum. The online ethics forum provides a way for postdocs to continue class discussions, ask questions of faculty and peers, post relevant articles, resources, and case studies, share their experiences, and voice their concerns and opinions. The website is password-protected, and all comments remain confidential. The course website is also a centralized repository of Basci Science RCR resources and information. It is a site where postdocs from different campus locations can form a community and maintain contact.

In accordance with NIH requirements, trainees who have been at UCSF longer than four years will have an opportunity to retake the Basic Science RCR course. Attendance at all sessions (with one excused to be made up with submission of a written assignment) is required to receive a course pass and certificate or course completion letter.