Training
The Office of Research and Innovation offers many types of research-related preparation. Specific requirements should be verified with the appropriate unit.
Required
Animal Care Program
MSU and Federal Regulations require training and continuing education to ensure that all scientists, research technicians, animal technicians, and other personnel involved in animal care, treatment, and use are qualified to perform their duties in the care and use of research animals.
Conflict of Interest
Financial Conflict of Interest (COI) training is required for investigators (of all levels regardless of title) prior to engaging in research related to any National Science Foundation or Public Health Service (including Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, etc.) projects. Training covers federal requirements and MSU's policy and procedures for disclosing and managing potential financial conflicts.
Human Research Protection Program
All individuals involved in a human subject research project who have contact with human subjects or their identifiable data must have current human research protection training. Current human research protection training consists of completing an initial educational requirement and renewing the educational requirement prior to the training expiration date. Section 11-1-A, “Education: Investigators and Research Staff,” MSU Human Research Protection Manual.
Environmental Health and Safety
EHS provides live and online training classes throughout the year to educate the employees and students of Michigan State University on safe work practices. Completion of these courses by MSU personnel ensures that the university is fulfilling local, state and federal requirements in radiation safety, chemical safety, biological safety, occupational safety, hazardous waste compliance, and environmental compliance.
Recommended
Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI)
Online training in export control and trade sanctions is available to MSU faculty, staff and students through a campus-wide subscription to the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). Please use your MSU email address to sign in so that your transcripts can be imported into MSU's training compliance system.
Research Development Opportunities
Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development
The Academic Advancement Network is a unit within the Office of the Provost that facilitates cross-institutional connections among individuals and entities in support of the advancement of academic careers. Its programs are organized around four nodes: inclusion, diversity, access, and engagement.
Center for Statistical Training and Consulting (CSTAT)
The center provides training and consulting in statistics for faculty, staff and graduate students through one-on-one consulting and training workshops.
Institute for Cyber-Enabled Research (ICER)
Extensive training and support are available through the institute to enable researchers to utilize MSU's high-performance computing resources for research. The training courses and workshops introduce new and current users to high-performance computing, and data and visualization resources.
Writing Resources
The Writing Center at MSU
The Writing Center at MSU is a free service to all members of the Michigan State community. They help with fiction, non-fiction, or digital media projects at any stage of the writing process - brainstorming and planning, organization, as well as polishing the final draft. Join a Writing Group.
MSU Authorship Guidelines
MSU has provided authorship guidelines to help faculty consider important issues surrounding authorship when collaborating with scholars to construct a piece of work for public distribution.
Foundation Center (external)
The Foundation Center publishes books and offers training courses, both online and in the classroom at various levels, to help researchers write more competitive--and successful--grant proposals.
Other Useful Links
- NIH Grant Writing Tips Sheets
- Center for Scientific Review Webinars for NIH applicants
- NIH Grant Review Process Videos
- NSF Guide for Proposal Writing
- NSF Grant Reviewer Tells All
- EPA General Tips on Writing a Competitive Grant Proposal
- USDA General Grant Writing Tips for Success
- U.S. Department of Education Grant Writing Tips
- Foundation Center Learn About Proposal Writing
Resource Guides
Communicating Research
Communicating about Your Research Beyond Journals and Peers
Michigan State University's Communications & Brand Strategy office offers an online toolkit to help faculty members to effectively tell their research stories, as well as provide guidance and tips on topics such as blogs, op-eds, social media and more.
How-to Videos: Writing about Research
Dave Poulson, associate director of the MSU Knight Center for Environmental Journalism in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, has prepared a series of short videos to help faculty members write effectively and persuasively about their research stories:
- Communicating Science and Research - Lesson 1: Why Bother?
- Communicating Science and Research - Lesson 2: Why Write Short?
- Communicating Science and Research - Lesson 3: How to Write Short
- Communicating Science and Research - Lesson 4: Use the Active Voice