Misconduct
What is most important to maintain during research?
Maintaining scientific integrity throughout the course of the research.
What organizations require RCR training?
The National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). All scientists being supported through these organizations are required to undergo RCR training, typically in the form of courses.
Why is it important to have a diverse group of people in different disciplines in collaborative research?
Creates well rounded research. People with different backgrounds provide unique insight which allows for less bias and creates more encompassing/representative research.
What technology is used for gene editing?
Crispr/ Cas9
Define Scientific Misconduct
fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. A finding of research misconduct requires that: There be a significant departure from accepted practices of the relevant research community; and the misconduct be committed intentionally, or knowingly, or recklessly; and the allegation be proven by a preponderance of evidence.
Mentors are important in teaching and encouraging mentees to follow RCR. What stage(s) in a scientist’s career may they receive mentorship?
Throughout their entire career: Undergraduate education, graduate education (Masters and PhD), post-doctoral experience(s), academic faculty positions, industry positions, etc.
What qualities make for good collaborative research?
Trust, creating an environment for open communication, shared vision, teambuilding, common language
Give a brief explanation of the Tuskegee study 1932-1972 (from book reading)
A study of syphilis on a lower socioeconomic level. Hiding of results and administration of medication and study of afflicted or preexisting disease.
Scientific Misconduct was first referred to as what?
Scientific Fraud
Are advisors and mentors the same? Why or why not?
Generally, advising and mentoring are thought to be distinct, even though overlap exists. Advising is an institutionalized, formal relationship arranged by institutions. Meanwhile, mentoring is a voluntary arrangement that cannot be institutionalized and involves a deeper, more personal connection (akin to a parent-child relationship).
There is a defined level of financial interests within academia and industry which inherently creates financial conflict of interest with its employees. In what ways can researchers be influenced to fall victim to financial conflict of interest within these established systems?
Job competition, entrepreneurial climate, career advancement, unintentional bias, financial gain
How many clinical trials did the covid vaccine go through?
3 over about 2 years
Louis Pasteur’s pioneering work in the 1880s led to the development of effective vaccines for anthrax and rabies. An examination of Pasteur’s data books revealed that the anthrax vaccine used in a famous inoculation trial on sheep was prepared by a chemical inactivation method developed by his competitor, Henri Toussaint. But publicly, Pasteur claimed that in these trials he employed his own method, which used oxygen to inactivate the anthrax bacilli. Is this considered scientific misconduct?
Yes
Professor Norma Chena is planning a research proposal for submission to the NSF. She invites her postdoc, Dr. Eleanor Axelrod, to participate in the writing of the proposal. Dr. Chena explains that this participation will benefit Eleanor by providing her hands-on experience in writing grant applications and that, if approved, the grant will secure 3 more years of training support for her. Eleanor accepts the offer and Dr. Chena instructs her to write a portion of the background section and a section describing results she obtained under a previous NSF grant (where Dr. Chena was the principal investigator).
After the proposal is submitted, Dr. Chena receives an email from the NSF program officer that the proposal has been withdrawn and will not be considered for funding. The program officer explains that the proposal was found to contain plagiarized material – particularly, the background section contained several paragraphs that were taken verbatim from a review article. The preliminary results section also contained an illustration that was taken from a website of another professor working in Dr. Chena’s field and used without citation. The program officer indicates the NSF Office of the Inspector General has been notified of the plagiarism and will conduct an investigation. The program officer’s email was also copied to the dean of Dr. Chena’s school. Realizing that the material in question was written by Eleanor, Dr. Chena plans to deflect the charges by arguing that Eleanor is the responsible party. Dr. Chena plans to claim it would not be reasonable for her to detect this level of plagiarism in the proposal and that any convictions should be held against Eleanor, not her. Do you agree with Dr. Chena’s course of action? Why or why not? What extent should mentors be held accountable for trainees’ misconduct in such cases?
An ideal answer includes discussion of (but not limited to): the responsibility of a mentor to train their mentees on RCR and ethical actions; the responsibility of a mentor to communicate effectively with their mentees; the responsibility of a mentor to take accountability for the actions of their mentees; and the responsibility of a mentor to model responsible and ethical actions for their mentees.
Dr. Prasad is an independent consultant in drug-related toxicology and lectures to pharmacology graduate students as a university faculty member. He occasionally serves on state and federal advisory panels on product safety. Prasad invests stock into biomedical companies and has sizable investments in one company who asks him to review the final toxicological assessment for a drug before clinical trial phase 2. During his review, Prasad finds that the drug causes serious nuclear abrasions in bone marrow and gonadal tissue. He realizes these findings will result in delay of the clinical phase so he notifies his investment counselor to sell all his stock in the next few weeks. What are Dr. Prasad’s obligations to avoid using confidential information for personal gain? What are his real or perceived conflicts of interest and what third parties are harmed by his actions?
He is obligated to inform the company that they cannot move forward with clinical trials despite being financially harmed by this. His conflict of interest is that he invested in the drug, thus has an inherent bias towards the results. The company will be harmed by the selling of Prasad's stock, and if he chooses to approve the drug, animals and potentially humans will be seriously harmed in later trials.
How many clinical trials do vaccines go through before being used?
4 over 5-8 years
Professor Angela Duarte the course director of a Physiology lab for medical students. One of the laboratory exercises involves students drawing blood from another under supervision and using the serum to perform a variety of chemical and cellular analysis. The lab exercise is carried out successfully. At this conclusion, Professor Duarte announces to the class of 100 students that she would like to retain their leftover blood. She informs them that some of the Sierra will be used individually, while some will be pooled. In all cases., The sera will be used to gather baseline control data for a number of research projects. She asked if anyone wants to refuse having his or her serum used for the research but receives no objections. Are Professor Duarte actions appropriate? Is an IRB approval protocol needed? Do the students need to give informed consent?
Inappropriate actions, student teacher coercion, not informed. Institutional review board approval needed.