Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Note: All graduate students will be required to complete training and pass a test on the sections in Parts 1-6 that are designated for their graduate programs.

All graduate faculty members and other faculty engaged in lab research or research with human subjects, with or without sponsored funds, will be required to complete training and pass a test on all parts of the training module.

Introduction

Fort Valley State University (FVSU) is a fully accredited, comprehensive, baccalaureate and graduate institution committed to providing strong academic programs, online courses and extracurricular activities to students. The University provides instruction, research, and public and extension services, consistent with its land-grant and public functions, for all segments of the population to achieve their personal, educational, and professional goals. All the academic programs can be seen at the following link: Degrees and Majors for Fort Valley State University.

To maintain confidence and trust in these activities, researchers must aggressively protect the empirical objectivity of research, the unbiased reporting of results, and the open sharing of that information. Respect for intellectual property is a non-negotiable requirement.

The responsibilities of Principal Investigators (PIs) include the direction of research and scholarly activities and the education and training of students. These crucial roles must be carried out in compliance with institutional policy and according to all federal and state regulations, guidelines, and sponsorship requirements. Students also must receive training in Responsible Conduct of Research, and all graduate students will be required to complete training and pass a test on the sections in Parts 1-6 that are designated for their graduate programs.

Graduate faculty will be required to complete training and pass a test on all parts of the training module. The topics covered by this training module are only an introduction. All PIs and other researchers are encouraged to seek out additional information and material when confronted with situations requiring more in depth analysis. Students engaged in certain types of research will be asked to follow the links to more in-depth treatment of areas that pertain to them. Issues that can impinge on public trust and confidence in research are brought together under the heading of "research integrity," and are discussed below.