Gunsalus appointed to National Academies' Committee on Responsible Science

C.K. Gunsalus, director of the National Center for Professional & Research Ethics at Illinois, has been appointed to the National Academies’ Committee on Responsible Science. Gunsalus' 1-year term began on January 1.

C.K. Gunsalus

The Committee will be responsible for preparing a second edition of the 1992 report, “Responsible Science: Ensuring the Integrity of the Research Process.” The report established definitions and standards that underlie current policies and practices, including the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s adoption of its definition of research misconduct as “fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism” in 2000.

“It is an honor to be chosen for this committee and to work with a group of people who are committed to promoting and preserving responsible research conduct,” said Gunsalus, a professor emerita of business and professor in the Coordinated Science Laboratory. “I look forward to working with them to update the 'Responsible Science' report, which has been so influential and helpful for the community.”

The committee has been tasked with exploring concepts such as:

• The state of current knowledge about modern research practices for a range of disciplines.
• How changing trends in the dynamics of the research enterprise, such as globalization, impact integrity.
• The advantages and disadvantages of enhanced educational efforts and explicit guidelines for researchers and institutions.
• The role that government, research institutions and journals should play in promoting responsible research practices.
• Whether the current definition of research misconduct should be expanded.

Ethics CORE is a signature project under Gunsalus' direction at the National Center for Professional & Research Ethics. Funded by the National Science Foundation, Ethics CORE is a collaborative online resource environment that gathers, preserves and distributes resources related to professional and research ethics. The site – which caters to everyone from students to instructors to practicing engineers – includes access to instructional materials, a digital library and online forums.

Gunsalus, who is a University of Illinois professor emerita of business, also plays a significant role in promoting ethics on the Illinois campus. In the College of Business, she currently teaches Leadership and Ethics in the MBA program and is the director of the required Professional Responsibility course for all undergraduates in the college. Previously, she served as the first Research Standards Office for the campus, under the University’s policy on academic integrity. Gunsalus also has a new book in the works on ethics for young professionals due this fall from Harvard University Press.

“As technology and globalization have opened new doors for researchers, they’ve also introduced new challenges when it comes to creating and adhering to best research practices,” Gunsalus said. “I am excited to play a role in this important work of the Academies.”