Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What's with all the acronyms? It's like we're in the Army!
SARI: Scholarship And Research Integrity; PSU's program for graduate professional ethics training
RCR: Responsible Conduct of Research; the government's preferred term for research ethics and related topics
CITI: Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative; an organization that has developed online training modules for RCR education
ORP: Office for Research Protections at Penn State

Which graduate students are exempt from the SARI program?
The requirement for SARI training applies to ALL Penn State master's and doctoral students, beginning with the incoming class of 2009-2010, regardless of funding, field, or program affiliation.

What about professional master's students?
The CITI program may not be appropriate for students in some professional master's programs, and (if approved by ORP) this part of the SARI requirement may be waived in specific circumstances. Each program should evaluate the needs of their students, keeping in mind the types of research and scholarship in which they are engaged. Colleges should submit SARI program plans that reflect degree- and discipline-specific needs for different programs. Programs may include a request (with justification) to waive the CITI requirement; the request will be evaluated when the plan is submitted.

What is the relationship between the National Science Foundation requirement and the SARI program?
As part of the AMERICA Competes Act, which was signed into law in 2007, the National Science Foundation will begin to require that graduate students who are included as research personnel on NSF awards receive training in the responsible conduct of research (RCR). Specifically, the Act says:

In response to the Act, and to the ever-growing need to address issues of professional ethics at the graduate level, the SARI program was instituted at Penn State to provide training in the responsible conduct of research and scholarship. The SARI program applies to all PSU graduate students, regardless of their funding source.

What about undergraduates who are engaged in research and scholarship activities beyond their coursework?
Undergraduates are not required by Penn State to participate in the SARI program, although they are encouraged to do so. However, undergraduate researchers who receive NSF funding are required to enroll in SARI (or equivalent) training according to the NSF regulations. Similarly, other funding agencies or organizations may require undergraduates to receive training; supervisors may use the SARI program if it meets the organization's standards.

Does the 5 hours of discussion-based training need to be completed each year?
All graduate students at Penn State must engage in a total of 5 (sixty-minute) hours of discipline-specific, discussion-based training during their graduate career. Each program, in its SARI plan, will designate an appropriate venue(s) for that part of the training. Programs are responsible for record-keeping and for submitting participation records annually to ORP.

My student is graduating soon. Does she need to complete the SARI program?
Only students who matriculated at PSU in fall 2009 or later are required to participate, though others are encouraged to do so as their schedule permits.

How come my friend doesn't have to [take a class; attend a seminar; participate in the online training] for his SARI program?
SARI program content is determined for different graduate programs by each college in their SARI plans. SARI training is intended to meet the specific needs of students in different disciplines, while incorporating a broad introduction to the responsible conduct of research, so individual program requirements may vary.

What may an approved program plan possibly look like?
Approved program plans will vary, but examples of both Masters and Ph.D. program plans follow below. Special thanks to Bill Ross of the Smeal College of Business for putting these together!