Working in partnership with the federal Office of Research Integrity, the NPA is pleased to announce the "Bring RCR Home" project. "Bring RCR Home" is a national initiative to foster programming on the responsible conduct of research (RCR) for postdoctoral scholars at their "home" research institutions. It aims to support postdoc offices and associations in the development and execution of local programs tailored to the unique role postdocs play in the research enterprise. Supporting activities will include workshops on how to create a dynamic RCR program, toolkits with examples and best practices, and seed grants to help fund the implementation of these programs.
Jump to: Workshops | Seed Grants | RCR Toolkit | Support
RCR FOR POSTDOCS
From determining authorship on a postdoc's first lab publication to taking ownership of data as the postdoc transitions to a faculty job, RCR issues are fundamental to a postdoc's professional development and everyday research practice. Yet many postdocs indicate that, despite the requirements from some funding organizations, they have not had guidance in issues of research integrity. While most institutions have general RCR training resources, targeted programming specifically for postdocs can be tailored to the unique roles they play in the research enterprise and their particular phase of career development.
Some particular issues for postdocs are:
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The dual role of both mentor and mentee
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Cultural diversity among postdocs, the majority of whom are visa holders
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Lack of official standing for most postdocs in their institutional community
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Postdocs' dependence upon their supervisor for career advancement
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The need for effective communication skills in sensitive or difficult conversations
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The implications of short-term appointments on data and project ownership
The RCR topic areas [1] of particular emphasis for this project are:
- Data Acquisition, Management, Sharing and Ownership;
- Mentor/Trainee Responsibilities;
- Publication Practices and Responsible Authorship;
- Peer Review;
- Collaborative Science;
- Research Misconduct; and
- Communication and Difficult Conversations.
Bring RCR Home Project:
The Bring RCR Home project offers workshops on how to create dynamic and effective programs on RCR that are targeted to postdocs. The next workshop will be held at the 2008 NPA Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, on April 26, 2008.
The project also offers seed grants of up to $1000 to help support the establishment of RCR programming directed at postdocs. Visit the Seed Grants page to see a list of the 2007 seed grant awardees and their project abstracts.
The 2008 competition applications are now available. Visit the Seed Grant page for details.
To aid in developing programs in RCR for postdocs, the toolkit offers information and training advice on the RCR topics of emphasis listed above as well as suggested speaker lists, exemplary program models and samples of handouts and agendas. The NPA RCR programming toolkit is currently under construction. If you know of an RCR program for postdocs at your institution or in your community that you would like to share, please .
Consultation and Technical Support
The Bring RCR Home Project Manager, Kathleen Flint, is also available for on-going consultation and technical support for any Postdoc Offices and Associations interested in developing RCR programming for their postdocs. If you have questions or ideas, feel free to .
| if you would like to join the Bring RCR Home mailing list and receive notification when the 2008 seed grant applications become available. |
[1] All but the last, communication and difficult conversations, are from the core competency areas recommended by the federal Office of Research Integrity.
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