National Postdoctoral Association

RCR TOOLKIT
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There are a range of formats for programs that can suit different goals and needs in an RCR program. Here are just a handful of general format types to consider.

A. Short Course or Single Workshop
The length of a program must balance practical concerns with pedagogical theory. While a program that is too short may not have sufficient depth, it is also important to remember that postdocs are busy and their primary responsibility is producing research results. Thus, keeping the program to a manageable length, such as a short course or a weekend workshop, can increase your attendance. Shorter programs like this can be effective if they are devoted to a particular topic – such as preparing a protocol for human subjects review board – or if they are connected to a comprehensive program that grounds the course in a larger context.

Such courses should also attempt to make the information pertinent and engaging to postdocs using the active learning methods. Some suggested techniques:

• Use case studies: some good case studies appear in the textbook Scientific Integrity, on the HHMI Lab Management website, and on the ORI RCR education website; see also, A Guidebook for Teaching Selected RCR Topics to Culturally Diverse Trainee Groups, which has adapted some case studies for postdocs on the topics of: Data Management, Sharing and Ownership; Intellectual Property; and Research Misconduct. Additional examples appear in the Sample materials article in this toolkit.
  
  
• Perform in-class or pre-surveys: Surveying the participants can help them examine their own opinions and compare with those of others—see example surveys in Macrina’s Scientific Integrity textbook. For additional baseline knowledge examples consult the RCR Surveys and Program Evaluation article in this toolkit.
  
  
• Employ role playing: Role playing different case study situations is another way of engaging participants actively in the decision making process. One example is LabAct, offered by the Lab Management Institute at UC Davis. This has also been utilized at Penn State in their RCR postdoc training (see the online description here). The RCR textbook, Scientific Integrity, includes some role playing exercises in its Appendix II. See also research-ethics.net for additional guidance on role playing: http://www.research-ethics.net/discussion-tools/role-playing/.
  
  
• Other interactive activities:
  
  
  • Mock IRB Review Board: Offer an opportunity for participants to do their own ethical review of studies involving human subjects as an Institutional Review Board.
    
    
  • Postdoc Supervisor Interview: For an example of this assignment, download a handout developed by the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill: UNC PI Interview Assignment

Some Examples of Courses:

• University of California San Diego: "How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper"
  Embeds RCR information on responsible authorship and peer review with strategies for writing and publishing
  
  
• University of Washington: "Communication with Difficult Colleagues"
  Workshop on strategies for ethical persuasion and dealing with difficult personalities, with special emphasis on the sensitive nature of a postdoc's communication with his or her postdoc supervisor
  
  
• Boston University: Responsible Conduct of Research Program
  Case studies have many examples with postdocs and grad trainees involved; offers certification good for satisfying NIH requirements
  
  
• MIT: "Survival Skills for Researchers: The Responsible Conduct of Research"
  
  
• Stanford University: Responsible Conduct of Research Course
  
  
• University of Minnesota: RCR Courses
  UMN also has a Small Grants program, fostering the development of continuing educational opportunities in RCR
  
  
• University of Missouri-Columbia: RCR courses for grads and postdocs
  
  
• Virginia Commonwealth University: Scientific Integrity Resources and Course
  Includes information on RCR resources at VCU plus information on a Scientific Integrity course for grads and postdocs
  
  
• See also the descriptions for additional RCR programs at the NPA's RCR for Postdocs Web site

B. Course or Workshop Series
A shorter program often can be more effective if it is part of a longer series. The advantage of a series of programs allows learning over longer periods of time and links individual programs to a broader picture. This could include regular meetings over a year-long course or periodic seminars held over a year or more throughout a postdoc’s career. Creating a series can also create some flexibility for postdocs who may not be able to attend all the workshops. Multiple events may also allow for smaller class sizes, which can foster more individualized instruction that adapts to varying backgrounds and learning styles. Another advantage of having a comprehensive program or series of events can allow for different types of formats to be used, for example discussion groups, lecturing, or peer teaching, which can serve to reinforce the material through these different venues.

Some examples:

• University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston: Postdoctoral Certificate Training Program
  A two-year, 15 semester credit hour certificate program with courses on various professional development topics including RCR
  
  
• Washington University in St Louis: Professional Development Series
  A series of monthly workshops for postdocs on non-scientific skills, including mentoring, lab management, and difficult conversations. Postdocs receive a certificate for attending all.
  
  
• University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center: Postdoc Toolkit Series
  A series of workshops on: What is Responsible Conduct of Research? How to Make a Career Development Plan with Your Mentor; Your words, your reputation: understanding copyright and plagiarism in scientific publication; Back and Forth Through the Journal's Doors: Responsible Authorship and Effective Peer Review ; Talk the Talk: Developing Ideal Communication between Postdoc and Mentor
  
  

C. Occasional Seminar or Brown Bag Discussion
Holding an informal series of events has some of the same advantages of linking shorter programs to a large context with a coherent theme and curriculum. The less formal nature, however, can allow postdocs to attend when time permits and avoids the stigma of merely “checking a box” for a requirement. In particular, brown bag events that take place over lunchtime make use of existing “downtime” for postdocs and so may increase attendance and participation. They also offer the opportunity to integrate RCR topics with other professional development opportunities such as networking with senior faculty.

Some examples:

• Penn State Brown Bag Seminars
  
  
• UC Davis Brown Bag Series
  
  
• University of Kansas Graduate School Brown Bag Seminars
  
  
• Indiana University
  Brown bag series primarily on human subjects in research

D. Computer-based or Online Courses
A number of institutions have developed online modules for RCR training. Such online modules can provide a good base for designing a course – and avoiding reinventing the wheel – and they can make the information easily accessible. In practice, they can be useful for teaching a set of policies or rules; however, typically they are not as effective at engaging postdocs in the more subtle aspects of scientific integrity as in-person, interactive learning techniques.

Some examples:

• Office of Research Integrity website: ORI has an extensive website with links to a number of educational tools for teaching RCR
  
  
• CITI RCR course: Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) is a cross-institutional online teaching portal. The RCR course is currently available for free to the research community
  
  
• Open Seminar in Research Ethics: Another freely available online course in ethics

E. Non-Traditional Training Formats
The formats included above highlight only a few of the more common approaches. There are many opportunities for creativity when designing these programs and developers should continue to experiment and think outside the box. For example, talking to postdocs about their interests and needs could reveal new approaches or topics. The RCR education community also continues to innovate so watch for conferences or programs that highlight these ideas and innovations. The ORI website and the RCR INSTRUCTION listserv at NIH are great sources for information, as are the other articles in the NPA RCR Toolkit.

Some examples:

• RCR Orientation for International Postdocs
  
  
  • Medical University of South Carolina: International Scholar Orientation Program
    Program orients incoming international postdocs to the U.S. research culture, preparing them to participate in an RCR retreat offered to all incoming postdocs at MUSC
    
    
• Train-the-Trainers sessions for teaching postdocs to teach RCR to graduate students
  
  
  • Wake Forest University
    Wake Forest provides training to postdocs on "problem-based learning" teaching strategies for teaching RCR
    
    
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    
    
• Embed in professional and career development activities:
  
  
  • Stanford: Soft Skills Workshops for Postdocs
    Workshops embedded RCR topics with other skill development: "Developing a career progress plan", "Interviews and interviewing - how to get what you want", and "Managing, motivating, and mentoring your workforce"
    
    
  • Brown University: "PI 101: Key Advice for the Newly Independent Investigator and Those Who Hope to Be"
    Workshop places RCR in the context of professional survival skills, in particular providing guidance and insight to postdocs on becoming a successful and ethical independent investigator
    
    
  • Massachusetts General Hospital Postdoc Association: Mentoreding Lunches on Difficult Topics
    The MGH postdoc association invited postdoc-recommended faculty mentors to talk over lunch about various topics that can be difficult to discuss with one's own supervisor, such as: balancing work and life; where to look for good mentoring; building self-image and self-confidence; and the hirable qualities of an assistant professor: publications vs. independent funding vs. personality

Whatever form your program takes, the NPA can provide technical assistance to help you reach your postdoc audience. Be sure to consult the other articles in the RCR Toolkit, or contact the NPA Project Manager directly. Additional program descriptions are listed on the NPA's RCR for Postdocs page. Also, if you would be interested in sharing the details of your program, the NPA is always looking for additional models to feature in the toolkit. Contact NPA Staff for further details.

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