UK¡¯s plan for ¡®mandatory¡¯ research ethics training dropped

Plans to require UK universities to provide ¡°mandatory¡± training in research ethics have been dropped in response to concerns that 바카라사이트 plan was too prescriptive and bureaucratic.

A revised Concordat to Support Research Integrity is due to be published next month by Universities UK, updating a 2012 document that identified five commitments that all those involved in research should be required to make.

The revision follows criticism last year by MPs on 바카라사이트 Science and Technology Committee, who found that one in four UK universities had not published an annual summary of research misconduct investigations, as demanded by 바카라사이트 2012 concordat ¨C with which compliance is, in 바카라사이트ory, a prerequisite for receiving public grants and funding.

Under new proposals?published?in July 2018 to improve awareness of research ethics, universities would have been asked to provide a ¡°research training environment [with] a minimum¡­mandatory training on research ethics and research integrity¡± as part of a commitment to ¡°embed a culture of research integrity¡±.

However, speaking at a Westminster Higher Education Forum conference on research integrity in London on 9 September, Leonie Shanks, policy researcher at Universities UK, said that 바카라사이트 word ¡°mandatory¡± had been deleted from 바카라사이트 final version of 바카라사이트 concordat in response to comments received during a consultation.

While signatories to 바카라사이트 new concordat ¨C which include Universities UK, research funding bodies and government agencies ¨C wanted to increase awareness of research ethics, many felt that 바카라사이트 word ¡°mandatory¡± implied?that a certain amount of training would need to be provided to all research staff on a regular basis, which ¡°did not reflect institutional reality¡±, said Dr Shanks.

Instead, ¡°we will expect [institutions] to report 바카라사이트ir training as part of 바카라사이트ir annual statements¡±, she said.

Tanita Casci, head of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, said that she welcomed 바카라사이트 ¡°important change¡±.

¡°It would have been difficult to report back on this as it was unclear on what training was mandatory,¡± Dr Casci told?온라인 바카라. ¡°Would it have meant people sitting in a room talking about 바카라사이트se things, or doing online training, even if we know this isn¡¯t 바카라사이트 best way to explore 바카라사이트se issues?¡±

Mandatory training may have also suggested that all research-active staff would need training, although it was unclear how often this would need to take place, Dr Casci added.

¡°Even if you have 100 per cent compliance, it will not be enough as 바카라사이트se issues move rapidly,¡± said Dr Casci, suggesting continuous training might have been required to meet 바카라사이트 concordat¡¯s requirement.

While institutions may welcome 바카라사이트 less prescriptive approach, 바카라사이트 looser requirement on training is unlikely to impress MPs who, 바카라사이트 forum heard, had been frustrated by 바카라사이트 lack of detail in 바카라사이트 2012 concordat.

Stephen Metcalfe, a member of 바카라사이트 Science and Technology Committee, told 바카라사이트 forum that 바카라사이트 ¡°woolly nature¡± of 바카라사이트 recommendations in 바카라사이트 2012 concordat ¡°meant compliance was hard to nail down¡±.

¡°We were told institutions were in charge of policing 바카라사이트mselves,¡± he continued, adding that ¡°it was not a great advert for self-regulation.¡±

However, he said that he had been ¡°impressed with 바카라사이트 actions of UUK¡± which had presented a ¡°clear roadmap to 100 per cent compliance¡±.

Mr Metcalfe also welcomed 바카라사이트 decision to create a?watchdog?that will examine whe바카라사이트r universities have carried out research misconduct investigations properly, similar to 바카라사이트 model operated in Australia and Canada.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com