Grambling State News

Grambling State University (GSU) received a $700,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to broaden research ethics education.

Dr. Carolyn Jackson, GSU Associate Professor of Education and Interim Director of the Office of Graduate Studies, is the project’s principal investigator (PI) for the project while Provost and Vice President Academic Affairs Dr. Connie Walton is the co-PI.

Jackson said Grambling State is one of only two institutions in Louisiana awarded NSF’s Ethics and Responsible Research (ER2) grant this cycle, with Tulane being the other institution. GSU is also the only HBCU to be awarded this cycle.

Titled “Fostering a Culture of Research Ethics and Integrity: An Institutional Transformational Project,” the project’s overarching goals are to promote a culture of research integrity and build robust research capabilities through more substantial training.

GSU will add to the current requirement for faculty and graduate students to complete specific responsible conduct of research (RCR) training modules via new, comprehensive, university-wide Department of Research Ethics and Integrity (DREI), that will be dedicated to advancing responsible and ethical research practices.

“The grant proposal was submitted to NSF’s Ethical and Responsible Research (ER2) program, which has an aim to support fundamental research about what constitutes or promotes responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR) — particularly research with human subjects as participants,” Jackson said. “In that, grant programs through NSF are generally very competitive, I wanted there to be little doubt about what we were aiming to do. So, the title explicitly indicated what our project is about. “

As Grambling State is endeavoring to enhance its research profile, the goal is to strengthen the university’s research infrastructure through this comprehensive effort that will result in a new department — The Department of Research Ethics and Integrity (DREI).

“The project aims to foster an atmosphere, whereby all persons understand the importance of conducting research ethically and responsibly by providing essential training,” Jackson said. “The implementation of more substantial training will aid in the continued building of robust research capabilities at our university.”

Jackson said that currently, only select members of the university community have to complete limited research ethics training (i.e., one or two online courses; required of faculty who submit grant proposals to particular federal agencies and students conducting dissertation or thesis research).

“With the new program, we will add to the lone requirement for faculty and graduate students to complete specific CITI RCR training modules by creating a comprehensive program where all students, faculty, and staff will participate in trainings and have additional services and supports available through the new department,” Jackson said. “Providing this resource will prove to be an invaluable addition and will have far-reaching results.”

This project will have a broader impact beyond GSU, by producing data related to research culture at HBCUs and the evidence-based nature of the curriculum design allows for the project to serve as an example of institutional transformation by promoting an enhanced culture of research ethics and integrity.

Jackson said the new Department of Research Ethics and Integrity (DREI) will provide valuable instruction on what constitutes RCR as well as other research support and training activities that are responsive to the needs of a broad range of researchers.

“The DREI will provide training via invited lectures, workshops, a new Research Ethics 101 course, and other activities,” Jackson said. “DREI activities also include experiential learning opportunities for faculty and their students and educational resources for the research community at large. Recent research still indicates that increasing public trust in research remains a challenge, particularly in minority communities. Jackson added that this project will provide training and additional exposure to GSU faculty and students.”

“This is absolutely amazing and a historic, first-of-its-kind type of research program at Grambling,” Jackson said. “With grant funding, the new Department will serve as the de facto hub for the Human Research Protections Program and will provide training and support to ensure that all stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, and by extension, the community at large) have the tools necessary to be ethical and responsible researchers.”

The project will begin on October 1st of this year and continue through September of 2029.