| NSF Org: |
OISE Office of International Science and Engineering |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | February 23, 2012 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | February 23, 2012 |
| Award Number: | 1153231 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Nancy Sung
nsung@nsf.gov (703)292-2306 OISE Office of International Science and Engineering O/D Office Of The Director |
| Start Date: | March 1, 2012 |
| End Date: | February 28, 2013 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $35,738.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $35,738.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1200 NEW YORK AVE NW WASHINGTON DC US 20005-3928 (202)326-6400 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1200 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington DC US 20005-3928 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
Catalyzing New Intl Collab, ETHICS EDU FOR SCI & ENG PROG |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.079 |
ABSTRACT
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will develop a new and unique resource of its kind, cross-cultural case studies for research ethics education in U.S. and Chinese universities. This project will support travel for ten U.S. participants to engage Chinese counterparts in a workshop at the Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, as part of a collaborative project with the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). As research becomes increasingly global, it raises the very real possibilities that the melding of multiple cultures, regulatory systems, and institutions will create tensions among the values, norms and legal frameworks represented by international collaborators. A better understanding of those tensions and the ethical issues they engender is critical. The proposed workshop uses the case study method of analysis to develop a new and unique resource of its kind, cross-cultural case studies for research ethics education in U.S. and Chinese universities, and it does so in the context of cross-cultural collaboration between American and Chinese scientists and other scholars.
The cases will impact the education of scientists in both the U.S. and China. American educators, facing the growing number of Chinese students enrolled in science and engineering courses as well as the increasing demands of globalization, have a pressing need for research ethics teaching materials that can bridge the gap between what international students know or believe, and what they will need to understand regarding the responsible conduct of research. Hence, the case studies have the potential to reach large numbers students and scientists in both countries. The cases will be posted on the Web for others to use as needed (URL: http://srhrl.aaas.org/projects/research_ethics/china/). While the cases themselves will add value to research ethics education in both the U.S. and China, the hands-on collaboration between American and Chinese educators, researchers and students will also be a model for developing such materials.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) collaborated on a project to develop a new and unique resource of its kind—cross-cultural case studies for research ethics education in U.S. and Chinese universities.
The globalization of research requires the melding of multiple cultures, regulatory systems, and institutions, thereby creating the potential for tensions among the values, norms and legal frameworks represented by international collaborators. As NSF has noted, “projects involving international partners may present special risks and challenges…related to the responsible conduct of research within a global context." As a result, training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research is of increasing importance in international research partnerships.
The project built on an ongoing relationship between AAAS and CAST formalized in 2010 and commited to furthering "the progress and integrity of
science through a range of cooperative activities, including those related to ethics education and the responsible conduct and application of scientific research. Each of them plays an important role in building a strong ethical foundation for science in their respective countries."
The specific project was prompted in large part by the need for teaching materials on research ethics. In August 2009, several Chinese government agencies and key scientific organizations jointly issued a policy statement for promoting research integrity in which they stated that “Universities and colleges should strengthen the development of courses and teaching materials on research integrity education in order to enrich the content of education and perfect teaching methods. They should take seriously their responsibility to strengthen the training of talented instructors and researchers of research integrity.” A major obstacle, however, was a lack of teaching materials in China. There were also recognized advantages for U.S. university teachers, in that such materials would help them meet the increasing demands on American faculty to teach responsible research conduct to a growing body of foreign students and faculty, many of whom are from China, as well as to assist American students and researchers to understand the cultural and educational factors that shape the ethical behavior of their counterparts in China.
The focus on developing case strudies was chosen because cases can be an effective heuristic device for helping learners engage in ethical decision making when complete knowledge of all the relevant details of a situation are unknown, a common occurrence in real life. They help provoke discussion and reveal differences of opinion, a useful strategy for increasing awareness of the diverse values and perspectives that people bring to resolving issues. Cases that highlight cultural differences between countries can illuminate factors that may affect how we interpret and understand various issues, We sought to develop cases that were realistic, and challenged users to consider them in the context of their values, experience and the ethical standards of science.
The Cases
The cases were initially presented and discussed at a joint AAAS-CAST workshop held at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, in September 2012. Ten Americans--one from AAAS, seven US faculty members, and two Ph.D. students in science represented the American delegation. Nearly 20 Chinese participants--faculty and students--plus more than 50 observers were present from the Chinese side. Months before the workshop, the participants jointly decided on the topics for the cases and prepared drafts that were circulated just prior to the meeting. The topics were: authorship and credit; collaboration i...
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