Responsible Conduct of Research Q & A

Conducting scholarly, research and creative activities with integrity is about meeting high ethical, professional, legal, and institutional standards. Regardless of the specific academic pursuit, responsible scholars are honest, open, and respectful of others and academic values in general.

Southern Miss is committed to promoting, supporting, and educating faculty, staff, and students about the integrity of scholarship and research. The Integrity Assurance program has been designed to comply with federal requirements for training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). NIH and NSF mandates require that the program be completed before applying for sponsored programs funding. Approval of IRB and IACUC protocols also requires program completion, and USM’s Graduate Council has established that both graduate degrees and graduate faculty status are contingent on completing the required course modules.

The program’s curriculum centers on several fundamental principles of best practices for scholarship, research, and creative activity. The program combines both web-based modules from the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI), developed by national experts and hosted by the University of Miami, and on-campus workshops and forums. USM’s Office of Research Integrity (ORI) keeps records of certificates of completion from CITI and on-campus event attendance. As necessary, ORI forwards copies of this information to the Graduate School and Sponsored Programs Administration. Instructions for taking the required CITI modules can be found here. Sign up for upcoming workshops and forums here.