The University of Central Florida is committed to conducting research with professional integrity and the highest ethical standards. The existence of trust within the scientific community and from the public is paramount to the successful advancement of knowledge and the growth of the university’s research program. Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is of paramount importance to the Office of Research at the University of Central Florida. Our goal is to increase awareness in our research community and further the practice of responsible research.
The information contained on this website should serve as reference materials and guidance for the UCF research community.
Responsible Conduct of Research Training:
As the responsible and ethical conduct of research is critical for excellence, as well as public trust, in science and engineering, the National Science Foundation implemented the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Act.
Section 7008 of the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Act requires that “that all grant applications that include funding to support postdoctoral researchers and graduate student researchers include a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals, and shall ensure that this part of the application is evaluated under the Foundation’s broader impacts merit review criterion. Mentoring activities may include career counseling, training in preparing grant applications, guidance on ways to improve teaching skills, and training in research ethics.”
Section 7009 of the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Act requires that “each institution that applies for financial assistance from the Foundation for science and engineering research or education describe in its grant proposal a plan to provide appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and other senior personnel participating in the proposed research project.”
In addition, the National Institutes of Health issued Policy on Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research.
Research Misconduct:
All institutions receiving Public Health Service (PHS) funding must have written policies and procedures for addressing allegations of research misconduct. UCF has policies and procedures in place for responding to research misconduct allegations. All allegations of research misconduct are assessed by the UCF Research Integrity Officer (RIO). The director of the Office of Compliance within the Office of Research serves as the RIO. Research misconduct includes fabrication, falsification and plagiarism, and does not include honest error or differences of opinion.
Fabrication: Making up data or results and recording or reporting them.
Falsification: Manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record.
Plagiarism: The appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.
UCF provides UCF Faculty with free access to plagiarism detection software through 
. Find out more about iThenticate here: https://rcr.research.ucf.edu/ithenticate.html
UCF has several options for reporting ethical concerns related to research misconduct. In addition to reporting to your supervisor or the University Compliance, Ethics, and Risk Office, or through the UCFIntegrityLine, you may report directly to the Office of Research/RIO. See contacts here: https://rcr.research.ucf.edu/contact.html
