Thursday, May 15, 2025
5/15/2025
Controls in Animal Studies Professional Skills Course - DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Animal models are used in biomedical research studies to determine how genetic, therapeutic, and other modifications affect the structure and function of a living system. Some of these studies influence what drug candidates are selected for human clinical trials or what therapeutic intervention should be tested in the clinic. However, there is growing concern that much of the information reported in the scholarly literature, particularly those that use animal models, is unreliable due to poor experimental design and technique, improper analysis of findings or over- interpretation of results. As such, scholarly journals, funding bodies, and scientific associations have developed author, and reviewer, checklists to help ensure that the experimental details reported in manuscripts are accurate, robust and can be repeated by other investigators. Despite these efforts, by the time journals interact with researchers, as authors, the experimental portion of the study is complete including any flawed research practices related to the study. Thus, while journals can enforce transparency of the research reported in manuscripts, they cannot change how the original research was performed. To address this issue, we propose to develop an on-demand education module, for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early career investigators who use, or are planning to use animal models in their research. The module will be developed based upon our proven method for designing highly-effective Professional Skills Training (PST) Courses such as the writing and reviewing manuscripts PST and the publication ethics PST. In Aim 1 we will prepare an education module, focused on developing skills in designing, performing and reporting well- controlled animal studies, using effective student-centered learning pedagogy. In Aim 2, we will pilot, evaluate, and revise the draft module with multiple audiences including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and other biomedical research investigators. In Aim 3, we will disseminate the revised version of the module and related teaching resources via free digital libraries, professional society workshops, and websites. In Aim 4, we will develop and support a community of practice for animal researchers in order to foster an ongoing dialogue on best practices for performing animal studies. The education materials and community of practice will provide biomedical researchers, who use animal models in their research, the resources they need in the lab to help them develop well designed, properly controlled research studies that are more likely to be accurate and reproducible.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).