Addressing Emerging Challenges in Research Integrity - The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation will implement a one-day educational conference, Addressing Emerging Challenges in Research Integrity, to strengthen research integrity capacity among emerging research institutions throughout Southern California. The conference addresses implementation challenges associated with artificial intelligence, increasingly data-intensive research, responsible data sharing, international research collaborations, and research security. As research institutions respond to evolving federal expectations, many independently develop policies, educational resources, and operational practices to address similar challenges. This conference will promote the exchange of practical implementation strategies, evidence-informed resources, and institutional experiences that can be adapted across diverse research environments while reducing unnecessary duplication of effort. The conference will convene approximately 125 investigators, research administrators, research integrity professionals, institutional leaders, compliance professionals, and other members of the research community representing emerging research institutions, Association of Independent Research Institutes (AIRI) member organizations, research-intensive universities, academic medical centers, and biotechnology innovation partners, including BioLabs, throughout Southern California. Project activities include keynote and expert-led educational sessions, interactive discussions, panel presentations, networking opportunities, and practical implementation guidance focused on three thematic areas: (1) artificial intelligence and research integrity; (2) research analytics, data management, data integrity, and responsible data sharing; and (3) international research collaborations, research security, and research integrity. Participants will engage in cross-institutional dialogue, exchange implementation experiences, and identify practical approaches that can be adapted within their own organizations. Project deliverables will include educational presentations, implementation guides, curated reference materials, recorded conference sessions, an electronic resource repository, conference evaluation findings, and a final project report. Educational resources will remain available following the conference to support continued learning and broader dissemination. Expected outcomes include increased participant knowledge of emerging research integrity issues, greater confidence implementing research integrity practices, increased adoption of practical implementation strategies, strengthened collaboration among research institutions, and broader dissemination of educational resources beyond conference participants. Participants will complete pre- and post-conference evaluations and a 90-day follow-up assessment to measure knowledge acquisition, confidence, application of conference resources, and continued collaboration.
