Current Initiatives

Supported by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI), CGS has launched the Project for Scholarly Integrity to develop institutional models for expanding and embedding ethics and RCR education projects.  Information about the project can be found at the following website:

http://www.scholarlyintegrity.org

The objectives of this new CGS initiative are: to expand the cadre of graduate deans who will serve as leaders in fostering a climate of research integrity in graduate education; to generate information about what works best in promoting a comprehensive institutional approach to RCR education; to document the results of the funded projects online and in a best practice monograph series; and to promote community-wide activity building on this initiative through publications, frequent meetings, the CGS scholarly integrity Website, and interactive media. 

Background and Earlier Initiatives

The Council of Graduate Schools is committed to advancing the scope and quality of graduate education in the ethical and responsible conduct of research.  Early initiatives on this topic stemmed from a growing recognition that students, postdoctoral fellows, technicians, and even faculty, must be better informed about the norms of science and scholarship, the ethical responsibilities of research, and the policies and regulations that govern research in the U.S.  Many situations in which ethical issues arise are complex, demanding distinct skills for identifying and assessing problems and solutions. 

To advance the development of such skills, CGS began to create model programs that integrate research ethics and scholarly integrity into the structure and the climate of the entire graduate school research experience. CGS initiatives have been made possible with funding from the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The initial CGS project funded by ORI supported the generation and testing of strategic interventions and assessment strategies in the behavioral and biomedical fields at ten universities. The initiative funded by NSF made it possible to support and assess projects at eight institutions focusing on programs in science and engineering that cross disciplinary boundaries.