BIOTRAIN is a collection of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and other preparatory courses specifically designed to build essential skills and knowledge for graduate students in the biomedical sciences throughout their PhD track.
An overview of the RCR-specific course track and requirements can be found here.
Course descriptions and syllabi for each BIOTRAIN course
Introduction to RCR for Biomedical Scientists
BIOTRAIN 750 is an orientation and introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) at Duke. This half-day event is required for all incoming first-year students in SoM PhD programs. Presenters will include the Associate Dean for Research training, the OBGE Director, the OBGE RCR/R&R Curriculum Manager, the OBGE Assistant Director of Trainee Development, the Assistant Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Diversity and Inclusion, and representatives from the Duke Occupational & Environmental Safety Office (OESO) and Duke Office of Scientific Integrity. Students will be introduced to the OBGE Peer Mentors and learn more about community building through Gateway Groups. Students should not register for this course in DukeHub; a registration link will be sent to all incoming SOM students.
The course is a requirement for graduation and confers 4 hours of Responsible Conduct in Research credit. Slots are guaranteed only for first year graduate students in programs in the School of Medicine, including interdisciplinary programs. Eligible students will receive an email with a registration link in early August.
Orientation and Introduction to RCR for Biomedical Scientists
Friday, August 26, 2022
7:45AM-1:00PM
Great Hall, Trent Semans Center (in person)
A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided
Session topics for 2022 will include
- Graduate School: Expectations, Professionalism, and Resources for Students
- A Whole You: Integrating Well-being, Coaching, and Professional Development into Your Graduate Training
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Cultural Awareness at Duke
- Your Role in Keeping Yourself, the Lab, and Duke’s Community Safe
- Research Data Management
- Meet the OBGE Peer Mentors
Students unable to attend this forum in person will be required to attend the following year.
Questions about this year's forum can be directed here.
Foundations of Professionalism for Biomedical Scientists
This nine-week course equips first-year School of Medicine (SoM) biomedical PhD students with professionalism skills, including but not limited to stress management, effective communication, giving/receiving feedback, and mentor-mentee relationships. The course is team-taught by National Research Mentoring Curriculum-trained faculty members and Leadership and Management in Action Program-trained PhD students from diverse SoM PhD programs. Content includes interactive lectures that provide fundamental knowledge of key professional skills, and small group active learning sessions (Gateway Groups) during which students discuss and practice professionalism skills and receive feedback from faculty mentors, peer mentors, and peers. Course is available to SoM biomedical PhD students.
Session topics for 2022:
- CliftonStrengths assessment and overview
- The art of finding supportive and diverse mentors
- Being an effective mentee
- Cross-cultural communication
- Communication styles, cognitive distortion, and self talk
- Well-being resources and stress management practices
- Learning to give constructive and productive feedback
Grant Writing for Biomedical Scientists
Introduction to scientific grant writing for second- or third-year PhD students. This course contains lecture-based and active learning sessions. Content includes lectures combined with class discussions on grant agencies, format and structure of grant applications, concepts in peer review, best practices in articulating study design and data outcomes, rigor and reproducibility in a research plan, and crafting biological significance and training statements. Students write an NIH-style proposal and actively participate in topical study sections, typically comprising ~12 students and a faculty study section chair. Students receive oral and written critiques of their proposals from a Duke guest faculty reviewer and two peer study section members. This course introduces students to writing, critiquing, and submitting fellowships, while also preparing them for writing their preliminary exam document. Open only to second- or third-year students in School of Medicine biomedical PhD programs.
Data Visualization for Biomedical Sciences
Display of quantitative data is central to relaying results in scientific manuscripts, talks, and other visual communications. Learning to manage, display, communicate scientific results effectively and ethically is an important component of professional development for all scientists. This course will offer conceptual and hands-on training in data visualization for biomedical scientists, combining principles of graphic design with a deep dive into the Adobe suite of tools. In addition to using "out of the box" tools, the course will fully integrate coding in R and rigor and reproducibility best practices. Open only to students in School of Medicine PhD programs.
The Responsible Scientist I
This course offered in the Spring semester, and required for all 1st year students (Fall ‘20 matriculants or later), utilizes online lectures/modules, in-person lectures and small group discussions, and focuses on Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and Rigor & Reproducibility (R&R) topics for early-stage graduate students. Each topic is accompanied by a short assessment to evaluate learning mastery. Small group sessions centered on expanding the online/lecture material through discussion questions and case studies build community and encourage continual embedded dialogue about best practices in RCR and R&R. Small groups are led by faculty representing each of the PhD training programs and departments, with teaching assistance from senior graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Total RCR credit: 4 hours
Session topics for 2023 will include:
- Conflict of interest – personal, professional, and financial
- Policies regarding human subjects, live vertebrate animal subjects in research, and safe laboratory practices
- Mentor/mentee responsibilities and relationships
- Collaborative research including collaborations with industry
- Peer review
- Data acquisition and laboratory tools; management, sharing and ownership
- Research misconduct and policies for handling misconduct
- Responsible authorship and publication
- The scientist as a responsible member of society, contemporary ethical issues in biomedical research, and the environmental and societal impacts of scientific research
- Rigor of the prior research; scientific premise
- Scientific rigor in experimental design
- Biological variables
- Authentication
Data Management and Quality for Biomedical PhD Students
Data Management and Quality for Biomedical PhD Students is offered via Duke LMS (Learning Management System). In Years 2 and 3, PhD students in the School of Medicine are required to take this course comprised of 3 online interactive modules. Each module is accompanied by an assessment. This course is presented with interactive graphics, text-based activities, short videos, and discipline specific scenarios. This course is required for all biomedical PhD students in year 2 or 3. Data Management and Quality for Biomedical PhD Students includes 3 modules:
- Research Quality and Reproducibility
- Data Management
- Data and Resource Sharing
To enroll in and complete this course, please follow this link to the LMS system. Note, these modules cannot be accessed using Internet Explorer.
Questions?
Contact us if you have questions about registering for or completing this requirement.
The Responsible Scientist II
This course offered in the Spring semester, and required for all 4th year students, utilizes online lectures/modules, in-person lectures, and small group discussions, and focuses on Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and Rigor & Reproducibility (R&R) topics for advanced graduate students. Each topic is accompanied by a short assessment to evaluate learning mastery. Small group sessions centered on expanding the online/lecture material through discussion questions and case studies build community and encourage continual embedded dialogue about best practices in RCR and R&R. Small groups are led by faculty representing each of the PhD training programs and departments. Total RCR credit: 4 hours
Session topics for 2023 include:
- Diversity, inclusion and representation in science
- Perverse incentives in academia and their unintended consequences
- Social responsibility
- Developing your leadership style and professional identity
- Human subject research: consent and ethical data usage/sharing
- Data sharing and management plans
- Leadership Style
The Responsible Scientist Teaching Assistant / Peer Mentor
School of Medicine PhD students in years 4+ may earn BIOTRAIN 755 credit (replacing one of two required RCR Forums) by serving as a teaching assistant in BIOTRAIN 751: The Responsible Scientist I.
School of Medicine PhD students in years 3+ may earn up to two semesters of BIOTRAIN 755 credit (replacing up to two of two required RCR Forums) by serving as an OBGE Graduate Student Peer Mentor over the course of one academic year, including participation in BIOTRAIN 701: Foundations in Professionalism.