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April In-Person Responsible Conduct of Research Training

The UConn/UConn Health RCR Office offers monthly Responsible Conduct of Research trainings to provide an opportunity to discuss and explore RCR topics, as well as count toward fulfilling funder requirements.  

 

This month’s RCR Offering

Who: April’s session focuses on clinical research but we highly encourage anyone conducting human subjects research to join us! 

What: We will meet in the library to view a live broadcast from UConn Health titled Regulatory Compliance in Clinical Research,” sponsored by UConn Health’s Clinical Research Center (CRC). The presentation is being given by Research Integrity & Compliance AVP for UConn/UConn Health, Michael Centola.

Following the 1-hour broadcast, we will have a group discussion to wrap up our session. This is an informal gathering. Snacks and drinks will be provided! Also please feel free to bring your lunch!

When: Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 16th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Babbidge Library, Class of ’47 Classroom

Registration is required. To register, please email Research Compliance Monitor, Ellen Ciesielski. For questions, please contact Karen Moré, Director of Research Compliance.

 

For more details about RCR requirements, please visit our RCR Office website.

 

Student Involvement in External Human Subjects Research

The IRB offices at UConn and UConn Health have developed guidelines to help clarify when student involvement in external human subjects research (i.e., research that is being conducted at or by another organization) requires interaction with the UConn HRPP/IRB office.  These guidelines represent common scenarios that are presented to the office, not all possible scenarios.  When unsure, please reach out to IRB-reliance@uconn.edu. The UConn Storrs and Regional Campuses guidelines can be found on the IRB Reliance – General tab on the IRB website. UConn Health’s companion guidelines can be located within the IRB Frequently Asked Questions section of their website, under the question “Does a student project involving humans require IRB review?” These guidelines can be provided to external organizations’ IRBs if there is a question about whether submission to a UConn IRB is required.

 

If you have any questions, please contact IRB@uconn.edu.

March Remote RCR Training 3/26

The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Program within Research Integrity & Compliance in the OVPR hosts monthly remote RCR training sessions. For our March remote event, we will be discussing several case studies. This 1-hour event will count towards the 8-hour in person requirement for NIH, however all those who conduct research are strongly encouraged to attend!

For more details about RCR requirements, please visit our RCR Program website.

For questions, please contact Research Compliance Monitor, Ellen Ciesielski or Karen Moré, Director of Research Compliance.

What: March RCR remote training session featuring case study discussions

When: Tuesday, March 26th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where: Remote WebEx Registration Link

March RCR Training

Calling All Human Subjects Research Staff! Please join the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Office TODAY at noon for our March in-person RCR training session with a focus on clinical and social researchers! This 1.5-hour event will count towards the 8-hour in person requirement for NIH, but we highly encourage anyone conducting human subjects research to join us! No registration required. Snacks provided! See you in the library!

 

What: March RCR in-person training, “The Research Clinic”

When: Today, Wednesday, March 13th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Babbidge Library, Class of ’47 Classroom

 

This month, we will be highlighting the importance of appropriately protecting research participants and avoiding research misconduct. We will meet in the library to view the Office of Research Integrity’s (ORI) interactive movie: “The Research Clinic.” The movie is designed as a “choose your own adventure”-type experience to allow participants to work through some common pitfalls and challenges in a low-risk environment. 

 

For questions, please contact Ellen Ciesielski, Research Compliance Monitor, or Karen Moré, Director of Research Compliance. For more details about RCR requirements, please visit our RCR Office website.

 

IRB Virtual Office Hours for March

Research Integrity & Compliance (RIC) will be hosting virtual office hours via Webex for students and faculty to offer guidance on IRB submissions and human subjects regulations.  Late afternoon/early evening appointments are offered to support availability of students and faculty researchers.

 

RIC staff are available to answer questions for research teams and faculty and student investigators who have questions about submitting to the IRB, human subjects regulations, post approval support, or general guidance on IRB processes.

 

Virtual office hours will be held on the following dates and times:

 

March:

Tuesday March 19, 2024, from 3:00pm-6:30pm

Wednesday March 20, 2024, from 11:30am-2:30pm

 

 

Please use the following Nexus link to sign up for an open meeting slot to schedule an appointment:

 

https://nexus.uconn.edu/secure_per/schedule1.php?stser=4475

 

For questions related to the sessions, please contact Joan Levine at joan.levine@uconn.edu

January Responsible Conduct of Research Training

Please join us as we kick off our new monthly in-person Responsible Conduct of Research training offerings! 

 

The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Program within Research Integrity & Compliance in the OVPR is developing a series of monthly in-person RCR training sessions. For our January event, we will meet to view the Office of Research Integrity’s (ORI) interactive movie: “The Lab – Avoiding Research Misconduct.” The movie is designed as a “choose your own adventure”-type experience to allow participants to work through some common pitfalls and challenges in a low-risk environment. This 1.5-hour event will count towards the 8-hour in person requirement for NIH. For more details about RCR requirements, please visit our RCR Program website.

 

Space is limited so registration is required. To register, please email Research Compliance Monitor, Ellen Ciesielski. For questions, please contact Karen Moré, Director of Research Compliance.

 

What: January RCR in-person training, The Lab – Avoiding Research Misconduct

When: Monday, January 22nd from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Babbidge Library, Class of ’47 Classroom

Responsible Conduct of Research Training

Please join us as we kick off our new monthly in-person Responsible Conduct of Research training offerings! 

 

The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Program within Research Integrity & Compliance in the OVPR is developing a series of monthly in-person RCR training sessions. For this first event, we will meet to view the Office of Research Integrity’s (ORI) interactive movie: “The Lab – Avoiding Research Misconduct.” The movie is designed as a “choose your own adventure”-type experience to allow participants to work through some common pitfalls and challenges in a low-risk environment. This 1.5-hour event will count towards the 8-hour in person requirement for NIH. For more details about RCR requirements, please visit our RCR Program website.

 

Space is limited so registration is required. To register, please email Research Compliance Monitor, Ellen Ciesielski. For questions, please contact Karen Moré, Director of Research Compliance.

 

What: December RCR in-person training, The Lab – Avoiding Research Misconduct

When: Tuesday, December 12th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Babbidge Library, Class of ’47 Classroom

Research Communications

What We Do

The UConn Research Communications team is responsible for promoting and disseminating research conducted at the university. Our primary functions include:

  • Public Relations
    • We write and distribute press releases and manage media inquiries related to research conducted at UConn.
  • Science Communication
    • The team works to translate complex research findings into accessible language for the general public, especially by producing content for the university’s house media outlet, UConn Today.
  • Social Media and Web Presence
    • Research Communications manages social media accounts (X, LinkedIn, and Instagram), the university’s research websites (internal and external), and online publications to keep the public informed about ongoing research projects and their outcomes.
  • Event Promotion
    • Research Communications helps organize and promote events related to research, such as lectures, seminars, and conferences. This helps in engaging the public and other stakeholders.
  • Internal Communications
    • In addition to external communication, our team ensures that research findings and news are effectively communicated within the university community.
  • Graphic Design and Multimedia
    • Our talented graphic designers and multimedia specialists help create visually appealing materials to accompany research communications, such as infographics, videos, and other visual content.
  • Media Training
    • We provide media training to researchers and UConn service units to help them effectively communicate their work to the public and the press.

Get in Touch

Need our services? For internal inquiries (UConn researchers/faculty/staff), submit a ticket with the specifics of your request. This helps us streamline our response and will ensure the quickest turnaround.

For external inquiries and other requests, email us.

Communications Support Request Form

The Research Communications team supports UConn faculty and researchers with the following communications deliverables and services:

  • UConn Today Stories
  • Press Releases
  • Website update (for ovpr.uconn.edu and ovpr.uchc.edu only)
  • Social Media Posts or Graphics
  • Design Project
  • Presentation Decks
  • Photography/Videography
  • Social Media Training
  • Communications Etiquette Training
  • Other Special Projects

To request any of the above, please fill out our support request form, and our team will be happy to assist you.

Internal Funding Budget Guidelines

The proposal budget is the financial plan of action that reflects the costs required to perform the proposed work statement. The following information has been prepared to help you develop your budget plan. It is important to demonstrate that the budget proposed is reasonable. 

A budget justification should be submitted to allow for each budget category to be explained relative to the proposed research. The budget justification explains how the estimated costs for the categories were derived and explains the need for the cost. Budgets should be prepared for the entire proposed project.  

While our budget sheet template has been designed to make it easy for an applicant to complete it on their own, we encourage all applicants to consult with their local grant administrators to ensure that budgets are correctly completed.  Faculty in CLAS are asked to reach out to clasgrants@uconn.edu to work with the Grant Management Services (GMS) team to complete the budgets for internal funding program applications.

Download and save the budget sheet template to your computer: OVPR_Internal-Funding_Budget-Template_FY26-for-FY25-competitions.xlsx

 The following categories are generally included in the preparation of a proposal budget: 

  • Salary: List all personnel, including the names and roles devoted to the project. 
  • Fringe benefits: Automatically computed on the budget sheet template except for ‘other,’ refer to Storrs/Regional Fringe Benefit Rates and UCH Fringe Benefit Rates. 
  • Equipment: Tangible, non-expendable, individual property having an anticipated life of one year or more with a unit acquisition cost of $5,000 or greater. For information see equipment definitions on the accounting website. 
  • Travel (transportation & Per Diem): Includes any travel necessary to conduct research (in support of specific project aims). For information on travel procedures and processes, see the travel website. 
  • Materials & Supplies: Any consumable not falling into the category of equipment, as defined above. 
  • Participant Support: Indicate incentives, travel, and other subsistence costs necessary for the project. 
  • Animals/Animal Care: Animal costs should reflect the type of animal, the number of animals and the unit cost per animal. Per Diem costs should list the number of days of Per Diem. Please refer to OAC for per diem rates. 
  • Contractual Services: Fees and charges for specialized services, such as library access fees, laboratory analysis fees, consultant fees, subject fees, etc. 

General guidelines regarding allowable/unallowable costs that are consistent with other OVPR internal funding opportunities. If you have a budget need that does not fit within these guidelines, please reach out to the OVPR Research Development Internal Funding team at research@uconn.edu to discuss options.  

    Allowable costs include:  

    • Graduate Research Assistants
      • AY Graduate Research Assistantships (20 hour/week).  Can choose GA level and specify percentage effort on the project.
      • Summer. You may request up to $2000 per student per annum.
    • Postdoc or other research assistant/technician salary 
      • Postdoc stipends should follow the NIH NRSA stipend levels. You may enter the base salary of each postdoc and record the postdoc’s effort percentage on this project.
    • Student Labor. Undergraduate student labor is paid on an hourly basis, plus fringe benefits. Please refer to the student employment website for levels of experience and compensation. Please enter the total amount you are budgeting for all undergraduate student labor costs
    • Summer Fellowships. Storrs/regional campus faculty members on nine-month appointments may receive salary during the summer months. A maximum of $3,000 per award (plus fringe) may be requested for single PI proposals and $5,000 per award (plus fringe) for Multi-PI proposals (limit $3K per PI). The request for summer funds must be carefully justified. For more information, contact the OVPR. 
    • Course buyouts   
      • Course buyout may be requested for Storrs/regional campus faculty, but the PI must explain why release time is vital to the project. Faculty requesting funds for course buy-outs must include a statement of support from the department head.
        • ‘The department supports a course buyout for ‘PI name’s’ application for the ‘award name’ program entitled ‘project title,’ under the OVPR’s terms for the inclusion of course buyouts in internal funding awards.’
      • Amount requested cannot exceed the minimum per-credit adjunct rate for the course being replaced.  For more information, contact the OVPR.
      • Limit of one per PI (Principal Investigators) per project
      • Please refer to the payroll department.
    • Fringe costs 
    • Equipment purchases 
    • Travel to conduct research or meet with collaborators (travel approval may be required) 
    • Materials and supplies 
    • Participant support costs 
    • Animal/animal care costs 
    • Contractual services (including fee-for-service contracts with partner institutions)  

    Unallowable costs include:  

    • Subawards to partner institutions 
    • Faculty member salaries 
    • Clerical or administrative personnel salaries 
    • Including personnel whose primary purpose is to explore funding sources and/or prepare grant applications 
    • Service/maintenance contracts on equipment 
    • Laboratory renovations, or other infrastructure renovations 
    • Institutional memberships in professional organizations 
    • Computers, laptops, tablets, or other standard office equipment (computers that serve a specialized research function beyond what standard office equipment can provide are allowable) 
    • Travel to professional meetings to present the results of the research 
    • Travel to explore extramural funding opportunities 
    • Costs associated with the publication of results of the research including page charges, purchase of reprints, or journal costs. 

     

    SPS Guidance Regarding Potential Federal Government Shutdown

    Frequently Asked Questions During a Lapse in Appropriations (White House).pdf

    Agency Contingency Plans

    UConn Sponsored Program Services is closely monitoring developments in Washington, D.C., and evaluating the likelihood of a federal government shutdown and its potential impact on UConn research activity. The U.S. Government is currently operating under a Continuing Resolution, which extends the deadline for passage of spending bills through midnight March 28, 2025.

    In the event of a federal government shutdown (as in previous instances), researchers with active federally sponsored grants and contracts will generally be instructed to continue work unless the project requires significant involvement of federal employees. Investigators may receive instructions from their contracting or program officers; if you receive such information, please notify your SPS award management contact immediately (links below).

    Based on past shutdown experience, SPS anticipates the following potential impacts on sponsored programs operations:

    Proposals and Application Systems

    We expect that some agencies will not be available to process proposals and that others will retain submitted proposals for processing when normal operations resume. If you are preparing an application or progress report for an upcoming submission deadline, please continue to prepare those documents for an on-time submission; however, we encourage you to monitor further updates for specific guidance and the potential for those deadlines to be extended.

    • Proposal preparation systems are expected to remain online during a shutdown, though proposals may not be processed by agencies until normal operations resume. Watch for announcements from agencies for extensions of deadline dates. There is a possibility that the Grants.gov Contact Center will remain available; however, it is unclear if all Help Desk systems will remain functional.
    • Peer reviews and study sections are not expected to occur, which may impact faculty who serve as reviewers, and may result in potential delays in start dates for those whose proposals are awaiting review if the shutdown is prolonged.
    • Agencies will likely not issue new notices, awards, or other actions during the shutdown.

    Award Management

    In general, researchers with active federally sponsored grants and contracts will be instructed to continue work, but the following exceptions are noted:

    • Personnel working in federal labs/facilities, and possibly on cooperative agreements and joint awards may receive notification that they are not permitted to work on associated awards during the shutdown.
    • Faculty working at a federal agency on an interagency personnel agreement (IPA) should immediately contact the agency to determine next steps.
    • “Stop Work” orders may be implemented for federal contracts, in which case employees can no longer be paid with federal funds allocated to that contract.
    • Final reports should be submitted on time if sponsor systems are operational.

    Federal personnel WILL NOT be available, though each agency may articulate emergency contact procedures. Federal personnel will not be available for scheduled campus visits or project status meetings.

    Agency Contingency Plans are available, though no sponsor-specific guidance on how a potential federal government shutdown may impact submission of new or competing proposal submissions has yet been provided.

    SPS will continue to monitor agency-specific communications regarding a potential shutdown and provide detailed updates and specific guidance via this page and email.

    Storrs SPS Contacts

    UCH SPS Contacts

     

    Award Report

    After awards are made and the project has been completed, the OVPR (Office of the Vice President for Research) would like to evaluate project progress and to learn more about the impact of the work that has been done. Please email research@uconn.edu with a 1–2-page narrative that includes the following:  

    • Cover: title, team, funding mechanism, date of award, etc.  
    • Summary (brief): of the project aims/goals and the results to date.  
    • Project Outcomes (if relevant): publications, grant applications, grant awards, invention disclosures, patents, other “products.”  
    • Project Impacts (if relevant): discipline impacts, institutional impacts (students, teaching, infrastructure etc.), economic impacts, community impacts  
    • Anticipated next steps (if relevant): follow-on projects, dissemination plans, external funding strategy, commercialization, etc.  

       After the award period ends, we are interested in receiving updates on outcomes from the award. We understand that the full realization of many projects may appear sometime after the funded work is complete. After this initial report is submitted, we will contact you in the future for updates on the project’s longitudinal impacts.   

       

      SCRO Policies, Regulations & Guidance

      For a detailed description of UConn/UConn Health SCRO Committee policies, please consult the SCRO Policy Manual.pdf document.

      For additional resources, please check out the following links:

      Training for Users of Stem Cells

      University policy requires all researchers and research staff, including students, post-docs, visitors, and faculty, to pass the Human Stem Cell Compliance tutorial quiz with 100% accuracy prior to engaging in research. The tutorial is intended to educate researchers on ethical issues associated with hESC and hiPSC research and inform them of relevant institutional, state, and federal policies and procedures.

      The tutorial is not required for those conducting in vitro human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) research involving the generation of gametes, embryos, or other totipotent cells. The tutorial is also not required for research that requires SCRO review to secure State of Connecticut funding but otherwise would not fall under SCRO’s jurisdiction (i.e., non-human stem cells, etc.). All other research requires that research staff complete the tutorial prior to beginning work on approved SCRO projects.

      To access the tutorial, quiz, and the sheet to record your answers, click on the links below. Return your answer sheet to SCRO Coordinator, Ellen Ciesielski, eciesielski@uchc.edu. You will be notified of your quiz results and receive a certificate upon successful completion.