Graduate School Receives Grant to Foster Integrity in Scholarship and Research

Emory Graduate School has received a grant from the Council of Graduate Schools, with funding from the U.S. Office of Research Integrity, to develop and implement a process-oriented program in research ethics and integrity.

Emory Graduate School is developing a process-oriented program in research ethics and integrity, paying close attention to the unique pedagogical challenges of RCR (Responsible Conduct of Research) awareness and training.  In particular, the Graduate School seeks to build contexts in which ethical dilemmas can be candidly discussed, since evidence suggests that many students fear judgment in addressing ethical problems in research.  The program will focus on a student’s development as a responsible researcher, supporting that development with three distinct goals.

• Program integration: education in research ethics and integrity must be integrated into the curriculum of the student’s program.
• Skills of critical reflection: students need time and space to practice thinking through complicated problems of professional integrity.
• Knowledge of research principles: students should be acquainted with rules and principles established by the law, professional codes of ethics, and best practices in the discipline.

The program will be developed and implemented in overlapping phases, focusing on identifying community vulnerabilities and opportunities,  on building curricular capacity development, and on implementing training for both graduate students and faculty.

Emory is one of five projects, involving seven universities, to be awarded a grant through the Project for Scholarly Integrity.  The initiative seeks to advance the scope and quality of graduate education in the ethical and responsible conduct of research.  Each project is developing and assessing educational models that promote responsible scholarly conduct. The Project for Scholarly Integrity website serves as a tool for sharing ideas developed in these projects and as a clearinghouse of resources relevant to graduate deans and other university administrators, faculty, researchers, and graduate students.

The Project for Scholary Integrity is sponsored by the Council of Graduate Schools and by the U.S. Office of Scholary Integrity.