RCR Foundations Workshop: Building Integrity in Research

PRESENTED BY THE RESEARCH INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE OFFICE (RIC) AND THE RESEARCH & INNOVATION OFFICE (RIO)
March 2, 2026, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Register for the in-person workshop (Mississippi Room in the Coffman Memorial Union, Minneapolis campus) - limited to 100 attendees - Registration deadline: February 16, 2026

Topics & Speakers:

• Strategies for Effective Research Data Management: a plenary talk and interactive breakout session led by Alicia Hoeflich Mohr, PhD
• The Nuances of Authorship: a plenary session with Sade Spencer, PhD
• Scientific Integrity and Research Misconduct: An engaging session with the RIC office featuring case studies on research misconduct and detrimental research practices.
• The Legal Ramifications of Research Misconduct with Kaley Klanica, JD, MPH, Office of the General Counsel
• Research Compliance, Administration, and Safety Directors panel: an opportunity to get federal updates and to ask questions from the directors across our University with Danielle Rintala (RIC), Patrick Briscoe, JD (RIC), Ilana Cohen, PhD (IACUC), Greg Park, PhD (IBC), Debra Dykhuis (HRPP/IBC), Amy Rollinger (SPA), Adam Krajicek (HSRM), and Brian Vetter (HSRM).

Join us for an in-person interactive workshop exploring research integrity and responsible conduct of research (RCR) through practical case studies and expert guidance on RCR topics and compliance. 

Schedule Highlights:

• 9 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Registration and light breakfast
• 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Workshop morning session
• 11:30 a.m.-12: 30 p.m.: Lunch provided
• 12: 30 p.m.-3 p.m.: Workshop afternoon session
• 3 p.m.-4 p.m.: Networking hour with refreshments

Who should attend: This event is geared for graduate students, post-docs, and early career faculty/staff, but is open to all UMN faculty, staff, and students. Additionally, for those seeking NIH-required training, this event fulfills five of the eight required hours of in-person RCR training.

Contact the Research Integrity and Compliance Program ([email protected]) with questions.
 

Ethical Use of AI in Social Science Research: Considerations for Design, Consent, and Equity

PRESENTED BY LEARNING INFORMATICS LAB, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
March 2, 2026, 11 a.m. to Noon
Join via Zoom: Ethical Use of AI in Social Science Research  (Meeting ID: 965 8116 4703 Passcode: 5W0Qxy)

Speakers: 

• Stephen Hutt, Assistant Professor, Educational Psychology
• Caitlin Mills, Associate Professor, Educational Psychology

This session will explore the ethical use of artificial intelligence in social science research, with a focus on how these technologies intersect with study design, participant rights, and questions of equity and responsibility. Rather than treating AI as a purely technical tool, the discussion will consider its role in shaping research practices, data use, and relationships between researchers and participants.

We will reflect on emerging norms, areas of uncertainty, and practical considerations for integrating AI into research workflows in ways that remain transparent, respectful, and theoretically grounded. The session is intended to support thoughtful engagement with evolving tools while maintaining core commitments to ethical research, informed consent, and inclusive scholarship.

Contact Stephen Hutt ([email protected]) or Caitlin Mills ([email protected]) with questions.
 

Ethical Global Health Research Panel Discussion: Practical Approaches to Navigating International Power Dynamics

PRESENTED BY CENTER FOR GLOBAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
March 2, 2026, Noon to 1 p.m.
Register and Join via Zoom: Ethical Global Health Research Panel Discussion

Speakers: 

• Mahsa Abassi, DO, Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Faculty, Department of Medicine
• M. Kumi Smith, PhD, Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, Director, Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility (CGHSR)
• Irina Stepanov, PhD, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Mayo Professor in Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Director, Institute for Global Cancer Prevention Research, Faculty, MS and PhD Programs in Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (MPaT), Faculty, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Member, Masonic Cancer Center (MCC)

Moderator: Shailey Prasad, MD, MPH, FAAFP, Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Executive Director and Carlson Chair, Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility (CGHSR), Associate Vice President for Global and Rural Health, Office of Academic Clinical Affairs

What does truly equitable global health research look like? 

The field is often criticized for its failure to defer to local experts and produce results that benefit local communities. Beyond basic cultural competence, researchers need to employ practices that are mindful of long-standing power imbalances that have hindered progress and positive health outcomes. 

These practices include authorship equity, creating budgets that take into consideration the needs of all parties and abiding by equitable data-sharing practices that ensure long-term success for local research teams. 

Join us for a conversation that will cover these topics and explore ways to ensure integrity and sustainability in global health research.

Contact Jake Schild ([email protected]) with questions.
 

U of M Public Engagement Conference

PRESENTED BY THE OFFICE FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
March 3, 2026, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Register for this event at U of M Public Engagement Conference

Speakers: 

• Laurie Van Egeren, Vice Provost for Public Engagement
• Andrew Furco, Professor, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development
• Heidi Barajas, Associate Professor Emerita, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development

The University of Minnesota Office for Public Engagement invites the University community and community partners to a day-long university-wide public engagement conference showcasing the variety of ways that the University partners with communities, governments, non-profit organizations, and business and industry. The conference will feature sessions on the latest in the University's community-engaged research, teaching, and outreach efforts. 

Contact Tarek Abdelqader ([email protected]) with questions.
 

Data Discovery: Reuse of Existing Datasets

PRESENTED BY RESEARCH DATA SERVICES, A PARTNERSHIP OF THE LIBRARIES AND LATIS
March 3, 2026, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Join via Zoom: Data Discovery

Speaker: Shanda Hunt, data librarian, University Libraries

As the research landscape continues to evolve, reusing existing data becomes increasingly relevant to our workflows. This workshop will demonstrate various methods for discovering datasets as well as data literacy (evaluating found data) and data ethics (licensing, data citation, persistent identifiers, missing data).

Contact Shanda Hunt ([email protected]) with questions.
 

Strengthening Ethical Research From the Start: How a Feasibility Review Can Help

PRESENTED BY THE CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE INSTITUTE
March 3, 2026, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Register and Join via Zoom: Strengthening Ethical Research from the Start

Speaker: Allison Wolf, MPH, Clinical Research Specialist, Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Designing a successful study means thinking through ethical and operational challenges from the very beginning. This session introduces the Clinical Research Support Center’s award-winning feasibility review service, which gives investigators structured, practical feedback to help strengthen protocol design. Learn how early input on key areas like recruitment, consent, and participant burden can make your study ethically sound, feasible, and set up for success.

Visit the Strengthening Ethical Research from the Start event webpage for more information.

Contact Allison Wolf ([email protected]) and Ryan Lee ([email protected]) with questions.
 

AI in Higher Education Webinar: The Impact of AI on Work in Higher Education

PRESENTED BY THE DATA SCIENCE AND AI HUB (DSAI HUB)
March 3, 2026, Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Join via Zoom: AI in Higher Education

Speaker: Jenay Robert (pronounced Ro-Bear), Senior Researcher from Educause

In recent years, the higher education community has been exploring how AI tools are impacting the ways we learn, work, and live. Focus has largely been placed on student-facing impacts such as academic integrity and personalized learning, but AI is touching every area of the institution. In this session, we will discuss EDUCAUSE’s research on the impacts AI is having on the work of higher education. We summarize work-related institutional AI strategies, policies, and guidelines; the risks, opportunities, and challenges associated with using AI for work in higher education; and specific examples of how staff and faculty use—and want to use—AI for work.

This is part of the DSAI's AI in Higher Education Webinar series for 2026.

Contact Tia Clasen ([email protected]) with questions.

Research Ethics Day 2026: The Future of Research Ethics: Threats & Opportunities

PRESENTED BY THE CONSORTIUM ON LAW AND VALUES IN HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, & THE LIFE SCIENCES, THE RESEARCH & INNOVATION OFFICE, MASONIC CANCER CENTER, AND CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE INSTITUTE
March 4, 2026, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m
Register and join via Zoom: Annual Research Ethics Day 2026 
 

Speakers: 

• Joanne Billings, MD, MPH, Interim Vice President for Research & Innovation; Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota
• Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, MAS, Lee Goldman, MD Endowed Professor of Medicine, Professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco (UCSF); Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and JAMA Network
• Christine Grady, MSN, PhD, former-Chief of Bioethics and Head, Section on Human Subjects Research, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Barbara E. Bierer, MD, Director of Regulatory Policy, SMART IRB; Faculty Director, Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard (MRCT Center); Professor of Medicine and Member of the Center for Bioethics, Harvard Medical School
• Holly Fernandez Lynch, JD, MBE, Co-Chair, AEREO: The Consortium to Advance Effective Research Ethics Oversight; Associate Professor of Medical Ethics & Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
• Arthur Lupia, PhD, Gerald R. Ford Distinguished University Professor; Vice President for Research & Innovation, University of Michigan
• Susan Garfinkel, PhD, Consultant, Research Integrity Partners; former-Associate Vice President for Research Compliance, Ohio State University; former-Director, Division of Investigative Oversight, U.S. Office of Research Integrity (ORI)
• Vence L. Bonham Jr., JD, Professor; Founding Director, Center for Bioethics, Social, and Behavioral Research; President and CEO, Diaspora Human Genomics Institute, Meharry Medical College
• Maya Sabatello, LLB, PhD, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, Center for Precision Medicine & Genomics and Division of Ethics, Department of Medical Humanities & Ethics; Director, Disability Rights & Society Program, Institute for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University
• Brendan Parent, JD, Director of Medical Ethics; Director, Transplant Ethics & Policy Group; Associate Professor, Departments of Population Health and Surgery, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
• Efthimios Parasidis, JD, MBE, Kara J. Trott Endowed Professor in Law, Moritz College of Law; Professor of Public Health; Faculty Affiliate, Center for Bioethics, Ohio State University

Join national experts from multiple disciplines and perspectives to consider what the current state of research ethics is, how to strengthen research oversight, what steps will best support research integrity and trustworthy science, what strategies will advance ethics in community-engaged research, and how research ethics should evolve to manage emerging technologies including artificial intelligence. Visit the Research Ethics Day 2026 website for more detailed event information.

Contact the Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment, & the Life Sciences ([email protected]) with questions.
 

Building and Sustaining an Ethical Safety Culture in Research

PRESENTED BY THE NATURAL RESOURCES RESEARCH INSTITUTE
March 4, 2026, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 
Join via Zoom: Building and Sustaining an Ethical Safety Culture in Research

Speakers:

• Jean Cranston, CIH, CSP, NRRI Quality, Environmental, Health, Safety, & Training Manager
• Sam Stoxen, UMN Health Safety & Risk Management Safety Professional
• Michael Joyce, PhD, NRRI Principal Scientist, Wildlife Ecology
• Shawnee McMillan, MS, NRRI Central Analytical Lab Manager

Moderator: Joel Hoffman, PhD, NRRI Director of Research

Join us for a panel discussion that will involve safety professionals and researchers  representing both lab and field teams. We will present real-world examples and discuss how ethical commitments to staff wellbeing translate into everyday practices that protect people, promote trust, and enable better science.

Contact Patrick Schoff ([email protected]) with questions.
 

Synergizing Applied and Basic Science Innovators in the Research Ecosystem

PRESENTED BY THE COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
March 4, 2026, Noon to 1:30 p.m 
RSVP to join the in-person presentation  (135 Animal Sciences/Veterinary Medicine Building, St. Paul campus)
Register to join via Zoom: Synergizing Applied and Basic Sciences Innovators

Speakers: 

• Alexandra Armstrong, DVM, DACVP, PhD, Assistant Professor, Pathology, Veterinary Clinical Sciences
• Meggan Craft, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
• Eva Furrow, VMD, PhD, DACVIM, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine, Veterinary Clinical Sciences
• Hinh Ly, MA, PhD, Professor, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences; Director of Graduate Studies, College of Veterinary Medicine
• Moderated by Caitlin Feiock, DVM, Assistant Professor, Veterinary Clinical Sciences

Veterinary and biomedical researchers are increasingly working across traditional boundaries, linking laboratory, clinical, and ecological settings to advance discovery through a One Health lens. This session will discuss innovative and collaborative approaches that can maximize impact and elevate ethical research methods.

Hear from researchers about how they are bridging applied and benchtop research in new and exciting ways. Panelists will share how complementary methods, creative uses of animals and alternative models, and cross-disciplinary partnerships are shaping the future of our research.

Contact Kinsey Mannebach ([email protected]) with questions.

Animal Welfare Symposium: Innovation in Practice: NAMs, Refinement, and Advancing Animal Welfare Together

PRESENTED BY THE RESEARCH & INNOVATION OFFICE
March 5, 2026, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Register for the in-person Animal Welfare Symposium  (Meridian Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, Minneapolis campus) - Registration deadline has passed

Speakers:

• Joanne Billings, MD, MPH, Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation
• Melanie Graham, PhD, MPH, Professor and Director, Preclinical Research Center
• Kimberly Kirkpatrick, PhD, Associate Vice President, Research and Innovation Office
• George Aslanidi, PhD, Professor, The Hormel Institute
• Clare Quarnstrom, Research Scientist
• Lisa Johnson, MA, MBA Executive, Director of Research Animal Resources
• Christine Rohlf, DVM, Research Animal Resource Resident Veterinarian
• Ilana Cohen, PhD, Director of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee 

This year's symposium will focus on new approach methodologies (NAMs), including organoids, microphysiological systems, and computational models, and how they are transforming research by enhancing the 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement. As NAMs mature and become more widely integrated, they offer new opportunities to refine in vivo studies, improve welfare outcomes, and strengthen scientific quality. This year's symposium will especially focus on Refinement strategies and innovative practices that enable animals to thrive while remaining essential to research. Together, these discussions will showcase how creativity, collaboration, and stewardship are advancing both animal welfare and scientific excellence.

This event is in person only (no Zoom option). Lunch will be provided by the Research and Innovation Office. This event is open to all University of Minnesota faculty, staff, and students who work with animals and/or support the animal program. 

Contact Kimberly Kirkpatrick ([email protected]) with questions.

RITE: Research Implementation Training and Education

PRESENTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE
March 6, 2026, 10 to 11 a.m.
Register for this event at RITE RSVP - and join via Zoom

Speakers: 

• Jessica Staloch, MSN, RN, CCRC, Department of Emergency Medicine
• Megan Tessmer, BSN, RN, CCRC, Department of Emergency Medicine
• Abbey Staugaitis, MSN, RN, Department of Emergency Medicine

The Research Implementation Training and Education (RITE) introduces a comprehensive, ready-made framework for research staff onboarding and enrollment readiness that extends beyond traditional HSP and protocol training. The framework emphasizes competency-based progression toward autonomy and includes centralized document management tools, mock-scenario training scripts for screening, consenting, and randomization, research-specific EMR training guidance, a library of coordinator guide templates, and milestone-based tracking to objectively assess readiness. Designed to be scalable and adaptable, the framework is particularly well suited for acute and inpatient trials, large research programs, and teams with rotating or cross-covering staff.

By standardizing onboarding and increasing visibility into staff readiness, this approach decreases training and onboarding time while improving real-world enrollment quality. An advanced implementation for Smartsheet users further enhances the framework with automated reminders, dashboards, and lifecycle reporting to support full clinical trial management. Collectively, this model reduces training gaps, improves oversight, and ensures consistent research preparation across departments while supporting workforce scalability and regulatory readiness.

Contact Jessica Staloch ([email protected]) with questions.
 

Autonomy Under Risk: Institutional Context and Ethical Decision-Making in Psychiatry

PRESENTED BY THE INTERVENTIONAL PSYCHIATRY LAB, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY
March 6, 2026, 11 a.m. to Noon
Join via Zoom: Autonomy Under Risk

Speaker: Butool Durrani, MD, Interventional Psychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry

How do psychiatrists balance patient autonomy with safety concerns when making difficult clinical decisions? This presentation explores findings from a national survey of over 400 U.S. psychiatrists examining ethical reasoning around involuntary hospitalization, compulsory treatment, and isolation. While autonomy is strongly endorsed in principle, clinical decisions are often structured around risk thresholds. The findings suggest that ethical positions are less influenced by individual demographics and more shaped by institutional practice environments, particularly in decisions involving restrictive interventions. This session introduces a systems-level framework for understanding psychiatric ethics as context-embedded clinical reasoning and invites discussion on how healthcare settings shape ethical judgment. 

Contact Butool Durrani ([email protected]) with questions.