Responsible Conduct of Research

Beginning September 2011, all newly hired full-time faculty and undergraduate students who are engaged in research and scholarly activities (beyond their coursework) are required by Penn State to participate in the new SARI@PSU program. It is the responsibility of the student’s faculty mentor to determine whether or not the student’s work meets the university’s definition of “research.”

The university employs two different ways to determine if a specific activity constitutes “research.” The first is drawn from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the second, from Penn State University policy. Thus, research is defined as either:

  • A systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge (45 CFR 46.102[d]) OR
  • Any dissemination of findings to a scientific audience including, but not limited to, honor's thesis; presentation at a research exhibition, scientific meeting or conference; submission to or publication, paper or electronic, in a scientific journal; and Internet postings (www.research.psu.edu/policies/research-protections/irb/irb-policy-1).

By this definition of research, a student who receives an Undergraduate Research Assistantship or a Student-Initiated Research Grant is required to undergo the SARI training.

Faculty mentors should meet with the student and determine which of the CITI training modules is appropriate for their area of study. To view the optional training opportunities, go to the CITI website, register as a user (this is a proprietary website with restricted access), and log on. Students and faculty report that the training program will take between two and three hours to complete.

Registration for the CITI training is found at online at the CITI Web site.