Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (Rcr) Training Policy

Academic researchers come from many disciplines, embrace a variety of theoretical frameworks and utilize different methodologies. Yet, all research/scholarship embodies one principle in common: it comprises a search for truth.  As educators, it is imperative that we continually evaluate our research for its ethical and scientific adequacy as well as its positive contribution to our various fields of study. Thus any compromise of ethical standards for conducting research cannot be condoned.

All members of the Pomona College research community including faculty, students, staff and postdoctoral researchers are expected to adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards as they pursue research and scholarly activities. They must comply with the legal, regulatory, contractual and ethical requirements established by the College, regulatory agencies, funding sponsors and their professional guilds.

The intent of RCR Training is to enhance sensitivity of the research community to the extensive range of ethical and professional issues that must be kept in mind in order to ensure a climate of research integrity. In keeping with HR 2272, Section 7009 of the “America COMPETES Act”, and the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and procedures Guide(grant Proposal Guide and Award and Administration Guide), RCR training is now mandated for all undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows participating in research on its grants. RCR content areas that must be reviewed in some depth include the following topics: Research Misconduct, Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment, Human and Animal Subjects in Research, Data Acquisition, Management, Sharing and Ownership, Publication Practices including Citation, plagiarism and Authorship, Mentor-Trainee Responsibilities and Peer review.

It is apparent that training in all these areas might not be relevant to all students but general awareness of these topics is required.  Specific training and instructions pertinent to the type of research will be provided by the PI. Training for most researchers can be met by taking an online course conducted by the Collaborative Institutional Training Institute.  For questions please contact David Tanenbaum, (909) 621-8722. Participants will receive a certificate of completion of training from CITI by email and the SRO will receive a notice from CITI.