September 18, 2006

UAB is one of only eight universities in the nation chosen by the Council of Graduate Schools to develop programs that train graduate students in the physical sciences, mathematics and engineering in the responsible conduct of research.

For 15 years, UAB has instructed its biomedical graduate students on the principles of scientific integrity. The $15,000 grant awarded by CGS and funded by the National Science Foundation will enable UAB to extend this training to graduate students in the physical sciences such as biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics and in engineering.

“It is very important that we instill in young scientists the values necessary to conduct research that is not only good science, but also to portray the findings in a responsible way,” said Jeffrey Engler, Ph.D., the principal investigator on the grant and associate dean for academic affairs at UAB. “UAB has been a leader in education students in scientific ethics, due to the efforts of Drs. Harold Kincaid and Sara Vollmer in the Center for Ethics and Values at UAB. We look forward to expanding our current program so that we reach many more students on the UAB campus.”

In partnership with the Center for Ethics and Values, Engler will develop new workshops and training videos in the responsible conduct of research. These efforts will also be expanded to include continuing education in research ethics throughout the graduate curriculum.