Responsible Conduct of Research Officer

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

ID: 7127994 (Ref.No. BSU36215)
Posted: March 14, 2023
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Job Description

Administers and sustains the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) program, Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) program and BSU’s Conflict of Interest/Conflict of Commitment (COI/COC) program, providing RCR and COI/COC training and mentoring for faculty and students at the university; and supports the Director and Associate Director in managing the Office of Research Integrity.

Ball State University welcomes applications for a Responsible Conduct of Research Officer to join our Office of Research Integrity (ORI) team. The ORI is a flexible, friendly workplace environment - we work closely together and enjoy being part of a collegial and supportive community of research administrators.

The ORI oversees many regulatory areas involved in research, including the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) program, the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Conflicts of Interests, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and others areas as they apply to research.

We work hand-in-hand with our faculty and students on creating the most ethical and safe research environment possible. The RCR Officer will work closely with our research community on developing new educational and training opportunities, overseeing BSU’s Responsible Conduct of Research and Conflicts of Interests programs, and acting as a mentoring resource for our researchers.

Salary and benefit packages for this position are competitive, with salaries for this opportunity in the range of $53,000 to $56,000 annually.

Job Function:

Administers and sustains the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) program, Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) program and BSU’s Conflict of Interest/Conflict of Commitment (COI/COC) program, providing RCR and COI/COC training and mentoring for faculty and students at the university; and supports the Director and Associate Director in managing the Office of Research Integrity.

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree, preferably in a sciences or social sciences related field.

Minimum Experience:

At least two years of research experience, research compliance experience, and/or professional level work experience in a research compliance office.

Preferred Experience:

At least one-two years of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)/Conflicts of Interest/Conflicts of Commitment (COI/COC) experience; experience with policy and procedure development; ability to develop and present educational programs and/or workshops.

Experience with IRBNet or other related online submission systems; strong working knowledge of federal regulations and guidelines regarding research; familiarity with university research and research policies and procedures; experience working with research review committees, such as the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and/or the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC); experience working with a sponsored projects office, federally funded research projects, and requirements of federal conflicts of interest programs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Develops, manages, and maintains the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training and mentoring programs for faculty, staff, and students at the university, which includes ethical and professional training for the institution; ensures that program meets funding requirements of the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF): including conflict of interest policies, mentor/mentee relationships and responsibilities, research collaborations, peer review, data management, data sharing and ownership, research misconduct and policies for handling misconduct, authorship, and publication.
  • Serves as BSU’s Deputy Research Integrity Officer (RIO). Performs initial assessments of potential research misconduct, and if necessary, initiates formal inquiries/investigations. Works with BSU’s RIO on RCR related investigations and files any required annual reports with federal authorities.
  • Develops, manages, and maintains the Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) program for federally funded research, including training and mentoring for faculty and students; ensures the program meets federal funding requirements as well as any applicable state and federal regulatory requirements. Serves as the FCOI Officer.
    Manages and maintains BSU’s Conflict of Interest (COI) and Conflicts of Commitment (COC) programs. Ensure the program meets regulatory requirements as well as complying with current institutional policies and procedures. Serves as BSU’s COI/COC Officer.
    Reviews FCOI/COI/COC disclosures and, where applicable, develops and implements required FCOI/COI/COC management plans.
  • Stays current with human subjects research knowledge and regulations. Performs limited IRB protocol reviews to ensure compliance with federal regulations, university policies, sound research methods and ethical standards; makes review determinations and provides protocol review recommendations; provides professional support to researchers conducting human subjects research and to the IRB.
  • Provides education and training support to faculty and students concerning regulated research; maintains BSU’s online RCR and COI/COC educational programs, including CITI;
    develops new RCR/COI/COC/FCOI educational and training programs as needed.
  • Collaborates with the Director and Associate Director of Research Integrity to manage the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and carry out duties in furtherance of the ORI’s mission.
  • Coordinates with the Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) to ensure that all federally funded research and researchers are in compliance with applicable federal regulations;
    acts as a liaison to SPA for purposes of program improvements, policy development, training assistance and compliance with federal funding regulations.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned.
  • Executes required standardizing on all venues of training and funding requirements of NIH and NSF; manages policy and procedure development, development of educational programs and materials; provides assistance to faculty and students on RCR and COI/COC matters.


At Ball State University, we recognize inclusive excellence as an integral endeavor to fulfill our University’s mission and our strategic plan. We recruit, support, and retain a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff. We encourage and reward diversity of thought. We promote a work environment that encourages and rewards innovation and creativity. We pledge to keep Inclusive Excellence at the highest level of institutional importance and as a foundation in all that we strive to do. Our over-arching goal for Inclusive Excellence is to adopt a university-wide Inclusive Excellence approach to academic, administrative support, and service functions of the university. We believe Inclusive Excellence must be infused in every step we take.