Responsible Conduct of Research

The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) promotes a culture of compliance, research integrity, and high quality research within the University community. Key to our mission of promoting research excellence is the creation and implementation of targeted educational programs. These programs have been developed to address the needs of those just entering the world of research, like undergraduate and graduate students, to our most seasoned investigators. The ORC is responsible for monitoring regulatory changes and recommending institutional responses to ensure compliance, and oversees the development and implementation of policies, procedures, programs and educational activities which satisfy federal, state and institutional regulations governing the research ethics and the responsible conduct of research.

Research Ethics & Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is the ongoing process of reconciling regulations, guidelines, standards, and ethics to promote integrity in the proposing, planning, conducting, reporting, and reviewing of research. The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) oversees and directs Public Health Services (PHS) research integrity activities and provides a number of resources in support of responsible conduct of research. As of January 4, 2010, the National Science Foundation (NSF) began requiring training in the responsible conduct of research for all staff involved in NSF funded projects. The NSF mandate requires all undergraduate, graduate students, and post-docs receive training in the responsible conduct of research, including human subject research and lab animal welfare, prior to working on any NSF funded projects.

NSF Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Frequently Asked Questions

Link to NSF notice: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-19930.pdf

JMU has entered into an agreement with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program to provide training. Please see the following URL to review the instructions for the required training: http://www.jmu.edu/sponsprog/research_compliance/conducttraining.html

URL for America Competes Act, Section 7009: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-19930.pdf

Should you have any questions regarding the CITI Training Program, please contact:

Pat Buennemeyer, Director, Research Compliance
at 540.568.7025 or by email at buennepd@jmu.edu

Additional RCR Resources:

Office of Research Integrity

Research Education Consortium - RCR Education Resources

American Association for the Advancement of Science. Integrity in Scientific Research, 2000

Sigma Xi. The Responsible Researcher: Paths and Pitfalls, Research Triangle Park, NC: Sigma Xi, 1999

National Academy of Sciences. Committee on the Conduct of Science. On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1995

National Academy of Sciences. Committee on the Conduct of Science. On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1995