ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Saint Mary's College is committed to the ethical and responsible conduct of research. To support research, scholarship, and creative activity, we provide research compliance support in the following areas.

Human Subjects
Institutional Review Board

Animal Care and Use
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

PHS-Compliant Financial Conflict of Interest Policy

National Science Foundation and Federal Research Compliance Certifications
ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ complies NSF’s required assurances and certifications related to proposals and awards.  The College has consolidated investigator certifications into a single downloadable form to streamline compliance with institutional and federal requirements. This form ensures acknowledgment and certification of the following:
•&²Ô²ú²õ±è; NSF Conflict of Interest Policy
•  NSF Sexual Harassment Policy
•  Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR)
•  Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) Compliance
•  Prevention of Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Compliance
Details of these policies are provided below.  Investigators must download the , populate, sign, and submit it to the Office of Research.  

NSF-Compliant Financial Conflict of Interest Policy

Acknowledgment of Sexual of NSF Sexual Harassment Policy
All investigators on awards funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) are required to comply with the NSF’s Sexual Harassment Policy (). 

In addition to their compliance with NSF policy, all Saint Mary’s College employees are expected to comply with the College’s Sex-Based Discrimination and Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, and Retaliation Policy which is posted on SMC’s Title IX site here: /about/title-ix/policy-procedures. Saint Mary’s Office of Research collaborates with SMC’s Title IX and Human Resources offices in order to assure compliance with this policy as it relates to grant-funded personnel.  

Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research for NSF Grants
All investigators on awards funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) must comply with NSF’s Requirement Regarding Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research Training ().

As part of a Saint Mary’s application for an NSF grant, investigators (PIs and co-PIs) must sign an NSF RECR PI - Co-PI Statement indicating that they understand the NSF requirement and that they will require completion of the CITI Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research module or a comparable training module for all NSF-supported students, postdocs, faculty, and other senior personnel, and that the training will include mentor training and mentorship.  

Research Ethics and Compliance Training
Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI):  The CITI RECR Basic Course provides an in-depth review of the core RECR topics including authorship, collaborative research, conflicts of interest, human subjects, and research misconduct. Case studies and video examples are used to supplement key concepts.

Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) Compliance
All investigators engaged in research involving agents or toxins classified under Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) must comply with federal regulations and institutional policies designed to mitigate potential misuse. Investigators must certify that their work adheres to the principles outlined in the .

Prevention of Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Compliance
Investigators associated with federally funded projects must comply with policies prohibiting participation in malign foreign talent recruitment programs specified in . Investigators are required to certify their adherence to these regulations by signing the Prevention of Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Investigator Certification Form.