Quick Links Letter of Invitation Registration Forms What to Expect What to Bring Transportation Housing & Meals Itinerary Faculty and Teaching Assistants

Academic Integrity & Research Ethics
for Biomedical Graduate Students

For many years, incoming Ph.D. graduate students in all biomedical programs and departments at Duke University Medical Center have begun their research careers with a weekend retreat discussing the principles of academic integrity and research ethics at the Beaufort Marine Labs.  Academic integrity and research ethics are fundamental to the practice of science.  This course provides a venue not so much for teaching the “right answers”, but more for raising awareness of ethical issues through discussion.

The course is held at the Duke University Marine Lab located in Beaufort, North Carolina.  Beaufort is a charming and historic coastal town located about 175 miles from Durham (about a 4.5 hour drive). 

Offering this ethics course as a retreat allows students to focus on important issues of scientific conduct without the distractions of course work and the laboratory.  In addition it allows students to meet their newly arrived colleagues, more senior graduate students, and faculty from many departments and programs within the Biomedical sciences at Duke. 

This year the RCR Orientation Class (310B) will be held August 24 – 26, 2007.  At the end of the weekend of study you fill out an evaluation of the course as well as a form requesting official credit.  This course is a requirement for graduation.  If you choose not to take the course this year, you will be wait-listed for subsequent years.  Guaranteed slots are only offered to first year graduate students.

Please read our Letter of Invitation .  Registration is required and must be completed by July 15, 2007.  See Registration Forms .  Plan to leave Durham at 10:30 am on Friday and return late afternoon on Sunday. Details are listed below.

What to Expect:
The course is organized around a series of short lectures and group discussions.  You will be assigned to a small group of 12 students or less; these groups explore issues raised by the lecturers.  Faculty and student leaders facilitate the group discussion, but your participation is paramount.  

Prior to getting on the bus, you will be given a folder containing information about research ethics in general, specific information about ethics and resources at Duke University Medical Center and NIH handouts regarding ethical problems to be discussed during the retreat.  Historical information about ethical conflicts, a map of the Duke Marine Lab and your small group assignment will also be provided.

We will alternate between short seminar lectures and in-depth small group discussions.  Please see itinerary  for specific scheduling questions. 

Dress is very casual – plan to be comfortable, you will be at the beach after all! It is likely to be quite warm.  

There are social activities and a choice of afternoon excursions:

Trip A: Shackelford Banks Island by Boat
Shackelford Banks, a barrier island near the Marine Lab, is well known for its wild horses, excellent shelling and ideal ocean swimming. The trip to and from the island takes about 20 minutes by boat. From the boat landing, we hike for about 10 minutes across the dunes to the beach. The hike is easy, but it can be very hot. There is no shade on Shackelford Island, so don’t forget your hat and sunscreen. (Sandals are NOT permitted on the boat trip.)

Trip B: Visit to NC Maritime Museum
For those who do not wish to spend the afternoon on Shackelford, there will be a tour of the North Carolina Maritime Museum located in Beaufort. It offers interesting exhibits of North Carolina history, wildlife, and mid-Atlantic seafaring.

What to Bring:
Bring your own personal hygiene items, such as soap, shampoo, and lotion.  Swimming gear, sunblock protection (at least SPF 25), bug spray, a hat, closed toe shoes for the boat trip (you will get wet – don’t wear your new Nikes – sandals are not permitted on the boat, plan to wear closed toe lace-up shoes!), a beach towel (bed linens & bath towels are provided). 

Transportation:
All first year students are required to travel by chartered bus to the Marine Lab.  Please see the MAP to Parking Garage III (PGIII) located at the corner of Fulton Street and Pratt Avenue.  Enter through the Patient/Visitor gate.  You can safely park your car here for the weekend and the gates will be up as you leave on Sunday, so there are no parking fees involved. 

The buses are loaded in front of the DCRI Clinic Building (adjacent to PGIII).  Prior to loading the bus you will be given a box lunch to enjoy on the trip.  The buses will leave PROMPTLY at 11:30 am.

Please contact Trish McCoy (trish.mccoy@duke.edu) for questions or problems regarding traveling by bus.

Housing & Meals:
Dormitory style student housing will be provided at the Beaufort campus.  There will be 2 – 4 people per room with shared bathroom facilities.  Bed linens and bath towels will be provided. 

All meals and a variety of snacks will be provided throughout the weekend.  If you have special dietary needs, please indicate that on the RSVP Form .  Please complete all the forms and return to Trish McCoy [trish.mccoy@duke.edu or fax:  (919) 681-1005] by July 15th.

For further information, contact:
Office of the Vice Dean, Basic Sciences
email: trish.mccoy@duke.edu
Duke University Medical Center
Box 3813 DUMC Durham, NC 27710
phone:  (919) 613-8637