Welcome to the research community of our National Center of Excellence for Molecular Prediction of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, PREDICT. Research Associates are registered academic appointees, and share the guidelines and responsibilities followed by our employees.

These responsibilities include following PREDICT policies, procedures, and guidelines, as well as national and international legislation associated with the conduct of research. The guidelines also cover the use of web and social media and the use of PREDICT credentials, which should be done in agreement with the Director of the PREDICT Center. Your affiliation with the National Center of Excellence PREDICT lasts for the duration of your appointment tenure, as indicated in your award letter from the Director of the PREDICT Center. Research Associates are normally appointed for a 3-year period.

Research Associates are appointed to do collaborative research when proposed by a PREDICT member of staff. Your contributions as Research Associate are specified in an appendix to this document.

There are several agreements and procedural matters associated with your appointment that you should be aware of. The terms of your appointment are described below:

•          The status as Research Associate at the Center for Molecular Prediction of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (PREDICT) confers a formal academic affiliation to a researcher (who is not an employee, contractor, fellow, intern or volunteer at PREDICT) to facilitate scholarly, collaborative research, and/or other public engagement activities with the PREDICT academic community.

•          Research Associates are professionals who formally and actively collaborate with PREDICT scientific staff.

•          Research Associates are not employees of PREDICT and cannot receive salary or any other financial award through PREDICT, nor can PREDICT be billed for any services provided by a Research Associate.

•          Research Associates are not automatically covered by PREDICT/AAU indemnification policies.

•          Only with the specific authorization of the PREDICT Director may Research Associates commit PREDICT resources or speak or act on behalf of PREDICT.

•          With the support and approval of the Director of PREDICT, Research Associates can apply for outside grants or contracts using PREDICT as a home institution. A submission process is in place for such proposals for outside grants and contracts. If an outside grant or contract is awarded to a Research Associate, then additional policies and procedures will be executed; generally, the Research Associate appointment is closed and replaced by an appointment that reflects formal PREDICT/AAU Employee or Contractor status for the duration of the grant or contract.

•          Research Associates may serve as co-sponsor to another academic appointee assuming a secondary status within PREDICT such as fellow, volunteer or contractor, but may not serve as sole sponsor.

Research Associates are accountable researchers who work within a framework for responsible research and innovation.

Research Associates must:

•          Be truthful in their representation of their relationship with PREDICT, and must not represent themselves as an employee or official representative of PREDICT.

 

•          Only use the PREDICT address and the PREDICT name, letterhead and similar materials, mailing privileges, equipment, or supplies for PREDICT business

•          Obtain specific approval to reproduce copyrighted material from the owner of the copyright

•          Obtain approval from the Director to receive, spend or commit funds, such as grants or contracts to PREDICT, or grants from within PREDICT.

Research Associates must not:

•          Use information obtained through the PREDICT appointment, that is unavailable to external scholars or the general public, for the purpose of furthering private interests.

Research Associates should conduct themselves to the highest standards, including:

•            Following professional standards for conducting research in the discipline, such as those for using live animals or human subjects, and person-identifiable data

•            handling intellectual property generated as a result of the Research Associate’s collaboration with PREDICT according to PREDICT policy and/or written agreements

•            professional conduct and behaviour, respect for others, and the prevention of workplace harassment essential to participating in the PREDICT working environment.

•            Behaving in agreement with the applicable Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct. PREDICT retains the right to rescind a Research Associate designation, either honorary or awarded, in any case in which an appointee’s conduct compromises the reputation or integrity of the Center, or otherwise violates applicable standards.

A successful Research Associate appointment may be renewed in agreement with the Director, dependent upon:

•            Demonstrating active collaboration with the PREDICT center and scientific community in general, and with the appointment sponsor(s) in particular, through collaborative projects, proposal submission, co-authored publications, etc.

•            Producing at least one substantial, peer-reviewed scientific publication or its equivalent related to the work done as a Research Associate each year of the appointment period.

•            Citing PREDICT affiliation on all linked publications authored during the term of appointment including use of facilities, acknowledging PREDICT staff and facilities, and otherwise recording PREDICT contributions towards publications.

•            Contribution of a summary each year according to submission deadlines, in an established template, for the PREDICT research report.

 

•            Research Associates are also encouraged to present at least one seminar or poster to the PREDICT community about their research expertise.

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If you have questions about your academic appointment, please contact Research Administrator Annemette Bønneland Kristensen annemettebk@dcm.aau.dk.