Recommendations for Effective Integration of Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research (E/RCR) Education into Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: A Meeting Report

Advancement of the scientific enterprise relies on individuals conducting research in anethical and responsible manner. Educating emergent scholars in the principles of ethics/responsible conduct of research (E/RCR) is therefore critical to ensuring such advancement. The recent impetus to include authentic research opportunities as part of the undergraduate curriculum, via course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), hasbeen shown to increase cognitive and noncognitive student outcomes. Because of theseimportant benefits, CUREs are becoming more common and often constitute the first research experience for many students. However, despite the importance of E/RCR in theresearch process, we know of few efforts to incorporate E/RCR education into CUREs. TheEthics Network for Course-based Opportunities in Undergraduate Research (ENCOUR)was created to address this concern and promote the integration of E/RCR within CUREsin the biological sciences and related disciplines. During the inaugural ENCOUR meeting, afour-pronged approach was used to develop guidelines for the effective integration of E/RCR in CUREs. This approach included: 1) defining appropriate student learning objectives;2) identifying relevant curriculum; 3) identifying relevant assessments; and 4) defining keyaspects of professional development for CURE facilitators. Meeting outcomes, includingthe aforementioned E/RCR guidelines, are described herein.