SIRC continues to support integrity in the research community with the SIRC Investigator Series
Updated July 6, 2020.
NOTICE - Due to the resulting impact of COVID-19, the series currently scheduled for July will now be held online.
The Division of Scholarly Integrity and Research Compliance (SIRC) is pleased to announce the SIRC Investigator Series. The SIRC Investigator Series is a six-course enrichment program that provides training on ethical decision-making in research, maintaining objectivity in research, and the ethical requirements for conducting research with human subjects.
Participants who attend 4 of the 6 trainings will receive a certificate recognizing their effort to seek additional professional development in the ethical conduct of research. These courses complement but will not satisfy graduate program ethics and integrity training requirements. For more information about funding related responsible conduct of research training requirements email ktrott@vt.edu or call 540-231-3798.
The SIRC Investigator Series will be open to all students, faculty, and staff. Faculty and staff can register for training on January 23, 2020 via TLOS, while students can register via Qualtrics. Registration information for future SIRC Investigator Series offerings will be coming soon.
SIRC Investigator Series Schedule:
Registration Links:
Course Description:
Researchers regularly face tough decisions such as weighing the risks and benefits of a proposed study, but researchers may not recognize that those decisions have ethical dimensions. This training introduces participants to research ethics, and provides a practical approach to ethical decision-making. The training will also highlight the complementary roles that facts and values play in ethical decision-making.
Objectives:
- Distinguish research ethics from everyday morality and compliance
- Illustrate the complementary roles that facts and values play in ethical decision-making
- Lay out an approach for ethical decisions-making in research
Date/Time:
- January 23, 2020 from Noon to 1:00pm
Location:
- Newman Library Multipurpose Room
Registration Links:
- Coming Soon
Course Description:
Prior to conducting research with human subjects, research protocols must be reviewed by the Human Research Protection Program and the Institutional Review Board. This course outlines the requirements for conducting human subjects research at Virginia Tech, and provides an overview of Virginia Tech’s submission and review processes.
Objectives:
- Provide an overview of the Common Rule
- Identify the requirements for performing human subjects research at Virginia Tech
- Provide an overview of the basic steps of the submission process at Virginia Tech
- Outline the human subjects research review process at Virginia Tech
Date/Time:
- Coming Soon
Location:
- Coming Soon
Registration Links:
Course Description:
Research protocols serve many purposes, one of which is to provide the Human Research Protections Program and the Institutional Review Board with the information they need to conduct the ethical review required by federal law and university policy. Successful protocols incorporate both a thorough description of the procedures and methods and ethical considerations of the research plan. . Incorporating ethics into a research protocol, requires an understanding of the ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report, as well as the ability to infuse those principles into the various sections of the protocol. This training will explain the ethical requirements for research with human subjects, and explain where to include that ethical information in the research protocol.
Objectives:
- Describe the purpose of the research protocol
- Explain the ethical requirements for research with human subjects
- Explain the role of the Institutional Review Board
- Explain what and where to include the ethical information in the protocol
Date/Time:
- March 27th, 2020
12:30pm - 1:30pm
Location:
- Online
Registration Links:
Course Description:
Independent decision-making in accordance with one’s goals, values, and preferences is central to the decision to enroll in a research study. The informed consent process is intended to facilitate potential participants’ decision-making process. Researchers interacting with potential participants must create informed consent processes that provide potential subjects with the information and support they need to make a decision that aligns with their values and preferences. This training session will outline the requirements for informed consent and highlight the importance of creating a consent process that facilitates understanding.
Objectives
- Explain the purpose of informed consent
- Describe the required elements of informed consent
- Describe the additional elements of informed consent
Date/Time:
- April 23, 2020
12:30pm - 1:30pm
Location:
- Online
Registration Links:
Course Description:
Authors of research publications are usually those who provide meaningful intellectual contribution to a project, but determining authorship position (e.g., first author, senior author), and deciding what constitutes a meaningful contribution can require complex decisions. Authorship disputes can lead to conflict between collaborators, but those types of disputes can be avoided with transparent pre-planning and early discussion of expectations. This training will discuss authorship ethics as well as tips for avoiding predatory journals and conferences.
Objectives
- Explain the difference between research misconduct and authorship disputes
- Describe methods to avoiding authorship disputes
- Describe how to recognize and avoid predatory journals and conferences
Date/Time:
- May 28, 2020
11:00am - 12:00pm
Location:
- Online
- Zoom - https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/266768146
Registration Links:
- To Be Announced
Course Description:
The design, conduct, and reporting of research should be free from bias resulting from an investigator’s financial conflicts of interest. Lack of objectivity in research can distort results and lead to incorrect conclusions. This training provides information about the ethical issues concerning unidentified conflicts of interest and the federal, state, and local requirements for reporting interests.
Objectives:
- Define conflict of interest (COI) and differentiate the various kinds of potential conflicts
- Examine COI case studies, both historic and recently in the news
- Describe the investigator’s responsibilities regarding reporting interests and, when a COI is identified, management plan adherence
- Explain the Research COI Program’s role in identifying and managing conflicts of interest across the research enterprise
Date/Time:
- July 14, 2020
Location:
- Online
- Register Now