The senior research compliance administrator has emerged as a critically important position as universities and other research organizations face an increasingly intricate regulatory environment. These administrators are tasked with a special challenge: ensuring that their institutions conduct safe, ethical, and compliant research while also…

An opportunistic experiment is a type of randomized controlled trial that studies the effects of a planned intervention or policy change with minimal added disruption and cost. This guide defines opportunistic experiments and provides examples, discusses issues to consider when identifying potential opportunistic experiments, and outlines the…

Focusing on research administrators, discusses how an effective training program improves employee performance by including comprehensive needs assessment, employing appropriate training methodologies, and anticipating factors beyond the actual training event that influence the transfer of skills from the training environment to the work…

Because higher education institutions have become dependent on federal funding for academic and research activities, compliance with federal regulations is mandatory. Keeping up with these regulations, implementing them, and providing necessary certifications requires careful planning and management. Accomplishing this efficiently will both help…

Although composition specialists embrace a variety of theoretical frameworks and research methodologies, they share a commitment to protecting the rights, privacy, dignity, and well-being of the students who are involved in their studies. These guidelines from the Conference on College Composition and Communication are intended to assist…

A discussion of resource allocation for scientific research identifies the ethical principles underlying the present debate and begins to construct a framework for evaluating various resource allocation proposals. The intent is to promote greater consideration of the link between ethics and science resource allocations. (Author/MSE)

A discussion of informed consent by human subjects in experimentation presents background on the consent issue, including federal requirements; lists factors that may affect a subject's ability to understand the consent document; and offers suggestions for preparing consent forms to ensure the subject's better comprehension. (Author/MSE)

The university research center of the future will function best to serve the rapidly changing public and private demand for services with a highly trained core staff, adequately funded and equipped, whose morale and quality of work performance is a prime consideration. (MSE)

Guidelines are offered for institutions seeking funds for applied research intended to lead to the commercialization of a product or process. Developed by the National Association of Home Builders' National Research Center, the guidelines suggest consideration of appropriate research performers, beneficiaries, risks, adoption of results, and…

This manual discusses major differences between academic and commercial educational research (CER) and provides suggestions to help researchers who want to conduct CER. The paper is based on the experiences of the TAFE National Center for Research and Development Ltd in Leabrook (Australia). Focus is on describing how to apply for grants and how…

A new model for administration of institutional research in small colleges is proposed as an alternative to the traditional centralized program model. Application of the model for two years suggests that its decentralized but integrated approach responds well to the institution's internal and external research needs. (MSE)

Effective organization can enhance the willingness, sensitivity, and knowledgeability of the individuals who must comply with federal regulations for research projects. A compliance operations model can be adapted to the needs and structure of different kinds of research organizations. (MSE)

Guidelines are offered to research administrators for reducing the volume of hazardous laboratory waste. Suggestions include a chemical location inventory, a chemical reuse facility, progressive contracts with chemical suppliers, internal or external chemical recycling mechanisms, a "chemical conservation" campaign, and laboratory fees for…

The use of preaward agreements between the industry and the university collaborating to seek external funding, particularly from government sources, is examined. The agreements describe the parties' obligations in seeking funding and lay the groundwork for subsequent research agreements. Elements of such agreements are discussed to raise awareness…

The activities of National Institutes of Health personnel and peer reviewers in preparation for and during a visit to a proposed research project site are outlined. Steps for the requesting agency to take before, during, and after the visit, to present itself in the best possible light, are suggested. (Author/MSE)