RCN-UBE: Ethics Network for Course-based Opportunities in Undergraduate Research: Phase II

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Scientific advancement is reliant upon individuals conducting research in an ethical and responsible manner. Beyond the importance of ethics/Responsible Conduct of Research (E/RCR) education within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines themselves, the rigor of scientific outcomes often has direct implications for the level of public trust in and engagement with science. Thus, it is imperative that emergent scholars at all levels receive formal preparation in E/RCR in an effort to promote the aforementioned goals.More acutely, recent efforts to reform STEM laboratory education at the postsecondary level have resulted in the genesis of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), which are designed to augment student access to and engagement in authentic scientific inquiry. Current evidence within the literature demonstrates that student participation in CUREs results in increases in their science process skills development, affect, and persistence in the domain. Yet, few studies have examined the integration of E/RCR in CUREs as well as mechanisms to effectively sustain such integration. The Ethics Network for Course-based Opportunities in Undergraduate Research (ENCOUR) seeks to address this concern through several structured activities, including: (a) expansion of a community of practice that includes individuals from diverse institutions with diverse educational backgrounds who are collectively interested in E/RCR in CUREs; (b) creation, implementation, and evaluation of a year-long ENCOUR fellowship program, which will provide structured professional development for CURE designers and instructors interested in developing and field-testing E/RCR resources; (c) curation and public dissemination of the resources; and (d) organization and facilitation of an E/RCR in CUREs conference. Collectively, these activities will enhance the community?s knowledge of the role and impact of E/RCR education in laboratory contexts through collaborative discussion as well as the creation of a national E/RCR in CUREs professional development framework and compendium of E/RCR resources. These latter outcomes will be of especial interest to individuals in STEM and non-STEM disciplines who seek to prepare an ethically-responsible citizenry. This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.