Research Ethics Course
BIMS 7100 / PHS 7840
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
Spring 2021
Course Requirements
-Class Attendance and Participation
- Attendance is required at all sessions. Students will register for each class and class attendance will be logged.
- If students miss a session, it can be made up with a 5-page paper on the topic of that session. With extremely rare exceptions, any student who misses 2 (or more) sessions will receive an “Unsatisfactory” for the course and will be expected to repeat the course the following year.
- Papers for a missed session are due in the student’s course Collab File Drop within a week of the missed session.
- Each student will take a turn serving as weekly discussion leader for their breakout room.
*In order to receive a “Satisfactory” grade for the course, students must meet the requirements above. Keep in mind that if you do not meet these requirements and receive an “Unsatisfactory” grade for the course, you will be out of compliance with the NIH RCR Mandate for one year.
Course Meetings:
All sessions meet on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30-5:00 PM via Zoom.
Class Format:
The course strives to take a learner-centered approach. Sessions will begin with an overview of the topic at hand. Participants will then go to breakout rooms for small group discussion of relevant case studies/questions. The whole group will reconvene at the end of the period to share and discuss interesting points that arose in individual small groups. Faculty participate in the course as presenters and to share their perspectives in discussion.
Reference Text:
National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. 2009. On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research: Third Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/12192.
Course Collab Site:
Case studies/questions and other relevant course materials will be posted to the course Collab site.
- Graduate students register for the course BIMS 7100 through SIS
- Post-doctoral students may register for the class through the Community Scholars Program in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS). Go to the New Student Registration page and scroll down to New Community Scholars. Complete the steps including the Visiting Student Form. Print the Community Scholar Class Registration Form. Then, send an e-mail to the Course Director, Dr. Jean Eby (jmg5b@virginia.edu), requesting “permission to enroll in BIMS 7100 for the Spring Term.” Print out and attach Dr. Eby’s email response to the SCPS form. You will then need to take the form & email to: Zehmer Hall, 104 Midmont Lane.
Payment options have changed. Please read instructions carefully.
Community Scholar tuition rates for Spring 2021:
- In-State: $540.00 per credit hour
- Out-of-State: $1,568.00 per credit hour
- Mandatory Comprehensive fee of $9.00 per credit hour
| February 16th, 2021 | Course Introduction; What does it mean to be a Responsible Researcher? Jean Eby, ScD, MS, MEd Director of Human Subjects Research Education NIH RCR Mandate Janet V. Cross, PhD, Associate Dean for Graduate and Medical Scientist Programs Researcher Responsibilities to Vulnerable Populations Jeanita Richardson, PhD Professor of Public Health Sciences |
| February 23rd | Research Misconduct Melur (Ram) K. Ramasubramanian, PhD Vice President for Research David Hudson, PhD Senior Associate Vice President for Research |
| March 2nd | Protection of Human Subjects Susie Hoffman, RN, BSN, CIP IRB-HSR Director |
| March 16th | Welfare of Laboratory Animals Kumari Andarawewa DVM, PhD, DACLAM Associate Director, Center for Comparative Medicine Safe Laboratory Practices Tom Leonard, PhD Director of Environmental Health and Safety |
| March 23rd | Collaborative Research and Conflicts of Interest David Hudson, PhD Senior Associate Vice President for Research |
| March 30th | Mentor/Trainee Responsibilities and Relationships Phillip Trella, PhD Assistant Vice President for Graduate Studies Sonali Majumdar, PhD Associate Director for Graduate Professional Development Yi Hao, PhD Assistant Director for Graduate Professional Development |
| April 13th | Data Management Practices to Promote Research Rigor & Reproducibility Andrea Horne Denton, MILS Research and Data Services Manager Marieke Jones, PhD Research Data Specialist |
| April 20th | Statistical Considerations in Responsible Conduct of Research Sarah Ratcliffe, PhD Professor of Biostatistics, Public Health Sciences |
| April 27th | Authorship, Publication, and Peer Review David Hudson, PhD Senior Associate Vice President for Research |
| May 4th | Social Responsibility in Research Phillip Bourne, PhD Founding Dean of the School of Data Science & Professor of Biomedical Engineering |
“Reflection on responsible conduct of research should recur throughout a scientist’s career: at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, predoctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty levels. . . . Instruction must be undertaken at least once during each career stage, and at a frequency of no less than once every four years . . . To meet the above requirements, instruction in responsible conduct of research may take place, in appropriate circumstances, in a year when the trainee, fellow or career award recipient is not actually supported by an NIH grant.” (Notice Number: NOT-OD-10-019).
Course Leader
Jean Eby, MS, MEd, ScD
Director of Human Subjects Research Education,
Office of the Vice-President for Research
Assistant Professor,
Department of Public Health Sciences
Email: jmg5b@virginia.edu