CGS Announces Awards to Support Research Ethics Education in International STEM Collaborations
Contact:
Julia Kent
jkent@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791
Washington, DC -- The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has made awards to five universities to integrate research ethics education into international collaborations in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) fields. Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF # 1135345), the project seeks to enhance the preparation of future scientists and engineers for the ethical challenges that often arise in global research.
Driving the project is a growing recognition that graduate students need to develop an awareness of cultural expectations about research practice and to understand different research policies and norms. Focused training can help students recognize and manage potential conflicts of interest, adhere to standards for responsible authorship, and share resources and materials responsibly.
The awards, funded by NSF’s Ethics Education and Science and Engineering (EESE) program, will support five innovative projects to develop learning outcomes and curricular content in research ethics education in STEM collaborations. The institutions selected to receive funding are:
An additional six universities will participate in the project as affiliate partners:
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Drexel University
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Indiana University
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Loyola University Chicago
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Mississippi State University
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North Carolina A&T University
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Purdue University
CGS will work with its research partners to develop common tools to assess the impact of the projects and identify best practice guidelines that will be shared broadly with graduate institutions.
“The globalization of research holds out tremendous opportunities to graduate students enrolled in U.S. graduate programs in STEM fields, but these opportunities come with challenges and risks,” observed Debra W. Stewart, President of the Council of Graduate Schools. “The CGS EESE project will help prepare students to advance high standards for research integrity as they pursue international research collaborations and work in culturally diverse research settings.”
The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is an organization of over 500 institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada engaged in graduate education, research, and the preparation of candidates for advanced degrees. Among U.S. institutions, CGS members award 92% of the doctoral degrees and 77% of the master’s degrees.* The organization’s mission is to improve and advance graduate education, which it accomplishes through advocacy in the federal policy arena, research, and the development and dissemination of best practices.
* Based on data from the 2010 CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees
