Rationale

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training ensures ethical and professional standards that all graduate students should acquire while at GVSU, regardless of the program requirements.  Understanding appropriate conduct and ethical considerations of research and professional practice will enhance graduate education.  This will be achieved through training graduate students on respect for research subjects and informants, stakeholders and the environment, on good stewardship of public and private resources, acknowledgement of collaborators, and responsible communication of research and scholarly activities in professional interactions.

The RCR training outcomes should include:

• The ability to identify ethical principles in the conduct of research using real-world situations while utilizing decision-making standards provided in the training.
• Where applicable, the ability to construct a research plan in compliance with federal regulations and institutional policy regarding the use of human and/or animal subjects for submission to a human/animal subject review committee for approval.
• The ability to identify what constitutes research misconduct and noncompliance as well as implement reporting procedures at GVSU.
• The ability to make thoughtful and ethical decisions when gathering, using, and sharing information throughout research process, from reviewing scholarly literature to disseminating research results.
• The ability to understand the mutual responsibilities and expectations that underlie the mentor-trainee relationship.

Graduate students should be able to understand what is ethical/responsible conduct of research, how to apply it in various research contexts, and know what to do when it is violated.

Responsible Conduct of Research for Graduate Students Policy

1. Each graduate student must complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training prior to completion of 50% of the graduate program or prior to engaging in any research activity (e.g. voluntary, independent, or supervised research, projects, theses, and dissertations).
2. Individual graduate programs must identify what type of minimal RCR training is required and when it will be required, with approval by the Dean of the Graduate School.  The following options are available:
   • Online training from a GVSU approved provider
   • An approved research methodology course
   • An approved workshop or series of workshops
   • An approved RCR course
3. Additional RCR training may be required by individual graduate programs.

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