Integrity and Compliance

Integrity and Ethics

VCU promotes research integrity and high ethical standards through adherence to the responsible conduct of research by the research community. Questions about any aspect of research integrity are encouraged. Contact the Research Integrity and Ethics at [email protected].

Concerns about conflicts of interest: Consultations are available to all members of the VCU community, including investigators, research personnel, students, IRB and IACUC members and staff, and past and present research participants. For concerns about research misconduct – specifically, fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism – see our research misconduct page.

Responsible conduct of research: VCU is committed to fostering an environment of uncompromising integrity and ethical conduct. The responsible conduct of research at VCU is built upon the instructional components of the NIH. Relevant policies, resources, and contacts can be found at the following link: https://research.vcu.edu/integrity-and-compliance/integrity-and-ethics/responsible-conduct-of-research/

Conflicts of interest in research: A conflict of interest (COI) arises in situations in which financial or other personal considerations have the potential to compromise or bias professional judgment and objectivity. Conflicts of interest are not unusual in a modern academic setting but must be addressed to provide transparency and protect research integrity. The COI in Research Program administers activities related to reporting, assessing, and managing financial and non-financial interests for the university research enterprise. For more information, visit: https://research.vcu.edu/integrity-and-compliance/integrity-and-ethics/conflicts-of-interest-in-research/

Research ethics consultation: Research ethics consultations provide a confidential outlet to address concerns related to issues involving research ethics, including:

• Aspects of protocol design
• Protocol problems
• Questions about regulatory oversight
• Addressing participant complaints
• Concerns about research integrity in the conduct of research
• Authorship and publication issues

Compliance

Our research compliance division at the Office of the President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) is committed to ensuring our researchers carry out their education and research projects in compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, university policies, and core values. They answer questions and offer guidance on any aspect of research compliance. For links and more information, visit: https://research.vcu.edu/integrity-and-compliance/compliance/

Training

• CITI: CITI Training – VCU fulfills the federal mandate to ensure all researchers involved in human subjects research are trained by requiring initial and continuing education through the Collaborative IRB Training Initiative.
• For links and more information, visit: https://research.vcu.edu/training/citi-training/

Enroll in a CITI Course here

• IRB: Institutional Review Boards (IRB) provide the ethics reviews that the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) relies on in accordance with federal, state, and local/institutional standards. The HRPP has oversight of the local IRB (e.g., VCU Panel A) and oversees the use of external IRBs. Its primary responsibility is to protect the rights and welfare of participants involved in human subjects research. For more information, see: https://research.vcu.edu/human-research/hrppirb/

Submit to VCU IRB