Rigor and Reproducibility

ENHANCING REPRODUCIBILITY

CMP recognizes that trainees need to receive explicit training in strategies for rigor and reproducibility at all stages in their training. Enhancing reproducibility training will be incorporated at three levels into CMP training leading to a model in which instruction strategies are sufficiently well integrated into the overall curriculum. We plan to introduce concepts such as cell line and animal authentication by genotyping; quality controls for animal research, including biological variables and acceptable group sizes; quality controls for disease models such as stroke research; quality control of reagents, including antibodies; quality control for protein assays, including Western blots and immunohistochemistry; quality controls for molecular biology, including shRNA knockdown procedures, and RNAseq; and big data analysis, including statistics.

  1. Integration of “Rigor and Reproducibility” into Qualification exams: CMP will require students to include a section on rigor and reproducibility in the Prelim A and Prelim B written material. CMP trainees will be required to prepare specific sections in the grant proposal style PRELIM A and PRELIM B documents, detailing: scientific premise, rigorous experimental design and data interpretation, consideration of relevant biological variables such as sex, authentication of key biological and/or chemical resources, data and material sharing, record keeping, and transparency in reporting.
  2. Integration of “Rigor and Reproducibility” into thesis defense: CMP will require students to include a section on rigor and reproducibility in their final thesis. Sections in the written thesis document on scientific premise, rigorous experimental design and data interpretation, consideration of relevant biological variables such as sex, authentication of key biological and/or chemical resources, data and material sharing, record keeping, and transparency in reporting will be required.
  3. Integration of “Rigor and Reproducibility” into students’ yearly progress report: In order to monitor how all Program faculty will reiterate and augment key elements of methods for enhancing reproducibility when trainees are performing research in their laboratories, a separate question asking about student’s project R&R will be incorporated into progress reports.
  4. Developing a “Rigor and Reproducibility” course: The CMP curriculum committee is in the process of developing a Rigor and Reproducibility course. This course should take place during the first semester of their training period. Topics will include:
    1. Scientific Premise
    2. Rigorous experimental design and data interpretation, consideration of relevant biological variables such as sex
    3. Authentication of key biological and/or chemical resources, data and material sharing, record keeping, and transparency in reporting
    4. Cell line and animal authentication by genotyping
    5. Quality controls for animal research, including biological variables and acceptable group sizes
    6. Quality controls for disease models: example: stroke research STAIR criteria
    7. Quality control of reagents, including antibodies
    8. Quality control for protein assays, including Western Blots
    9. Quality controls for immunohistochemistry
    10. Quality controls for molecular biology, including shRNA knockdown procedures, and RNAseq
    11. Big data analysis and Statistics