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Good scientific practice (GSP) is the basis for excellent research and has a high priority at the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center. Rather than relying on one-off training courses, the FZB pursues a participatory approach in order to anchor good scientific practice in the research teams on a long-term basis and to continuously develop it, as well as technologies and research approaches.

Ensuring scientific integrity requires not only knowledge of the rules and regulations, but also concrete ideas on how to implement the rules in everyday research, an open and trusting atmosphere, competence in the basics of communication and interaction psychology, and a constructive culture for dealing with mistakes. Equally important are appropriate forums and incentives that provide space for observing and discussing the rules and the limits of good scientific practice. At the Research Center, this is realized through the participation of scouts in the research groups. As Scientific Integrity Scouts, PhD students, postdocs or technical staff take responsibility for GSP, not as controllers, but by giving impulses to their research groups, by dealing with the implementation of good scientific practice on a very practical level and by promoting a constructive error-learning culture in the research groups.

The training of the Scientific Integrity Scouts is based on the "Borstel Model of Good Scientific Practice" for the integration of quality management into the daily work of scientific research, which was included as a best practice example in the KODEX of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Leibniz KODEX of Good Scientific Practice of the Leibniz Association. "Together with my colleague and co-lecturer Dr. Frauke Schocker, I lay the foundation by teaching GSP rules, communication models and the basics of interaction psychology. We place particular emphasis on the practical relevance of research groups from different disciplines and provide the scouts with the tools they need for their work in their groups," says Professor Andra Schromm, explaining the concept of the Scientific Integrity Scouts, which she initiated at the FZB.

In group work and role-playing, Scouts can first try out what they've learned in the scout troop, and then use it in the research group during group meetings or retreats. "The new moderation cards for Scouts help me to briefly and concisely present GSP topics and how I, as a Scout, can contribute to promoting GSP. I can use this in a very practical way for the GSP activities in my group," says Anika Rahman, a graduate student who recently joined the Scouts team. "As a Scientific Integrity Scout, I benefit immensely by learning new ways of interacting with people and strengthening the team. Through the exchange at the Scout meetings, I learn to look at my own work from a new perspective and become more mindful in my daily research," says Dr. Christian Nehls. Thanks to the regular input from the Scouts, GSP has become an integral part of the research process.

So far, the Scout system is a unique selling point at the FZB. However, the concept is certainly suitable for adaptation and establishment at other institutions. Dr. Frauke Schocker, co-lecturer of the Scouts, points out: "This year, four professors from the University of Lübeck, the University of Hamburg and the Center for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) joined the Scout project with their groups. Therefore, we paid special attention to the onboarding concept for new groups. With a kick-off event, where the team members were also picked up, and the tandem principle, the start was successful. The feedback from the new Scouts shows that this introduction creates a very good basis for their work in the groups. Once the first hurdle has been overcome, the multiplier role of the Scouts generates a broad impact beyond the training of the Scouts in the research teams. In this way, the Scout system uniquely implements an approach to cross-phase training on good scientific practice that is formulated in Guideline 3 of the KODEX of the German Research Foundation (DFG).

The University of Lübeck has now honoured Prof. Andra Schromm for her innovative teaching concept "Scientific Integrity Scouts Meeting. Good Scientific Practice (GWP) - from KODEX to Science". The award was presented by President Prof. Gabriele Gillessen-Kaesbach at the annual reception of the University on 5 December. The course is offered as an advanced course at the University of Lübeck and is aimed at doctoral students in the natural sciences and medicine.  The course is based on a mixed method approach. There is a regular seminar with a teaching component, group work and peer coaching. The focus of the teaching is on raising awareness of GSP issues, reflecting on the responsibilities and roles of doctoral students, and teaching methods and skills to actively promote a culture of learning from mistakes.

Prof. Dr. Andra Schromm is head of the Immunobiophysics research group at the Research Center Borstel Borstel (FZB). She is co-founder of the Borstel Model for Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice, advisory board member and lecturer of the structured training programme Borstel Biomedical Research School for PhD students since 2010 and coordinator of the strategic agenda for scientific integrity at the FZB since 2012. In May 2024, she was appointed as an external member of the Permanent Commission for the Investigation of Scientific Misconduct at the Freie Universität Berlin.

Reference:

Schocker F, Fehrenbach H, Schromm AB. Mission impossible? A cultural change to support scientific integrity, EMBO Reports 2021. DOI 10.15252/embr.202052334

Further Information:

• Press Release from the Universität zu Lübeck (only in German)
• Article from the Universität zu Lübeck about the special teaching award (only in German)
• Good Scientific Practice - Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz Lungenzentrum

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