Conducting Research

Below are resources (arranged in alphabetical order) to assist while conducting research at UC Davis.

For guidance on required compliance for research projects, please see the Proposal Compliance Items page.

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Core Facilities

The term “core” includes any UC Davis research core or shared research facility (regardless of designation as a Campus Research Core Facility) on the main campus, in Sacramento, and at off-campus locations in all schools and colleges. Research cores and shared facilities include professionally managed shared instrumentation and equipment facilities, scientific recharge units, and research service centers that provide access to technologies, equipment, services, and expert consultation to enable, facilitate, and enhance the research mission of the university.

• • UC Davis Research Core Facilities Program (RCFP)
    • RCFP resources include:
      • An online core directory of research facilities and services available on campus
      • A software platform (Stratocore) to manage scheduling, billing, and other administrative tasks

Evaluation

Many sponsors require the inclusion of an evaluation plan for research projects. Other times, researchers may benefit from evaluation of their proposed activities even when not required by a sponsor.

• • The School of Medicine Office of Research Evaluation Unit has expertise in designing and implementing evaluation plans, and conducting mixed methods process and impact evaluations.
  • Center for Healthcare Policy and Research has expertise in economic, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods program evaluation.
  • University of California Educational Evaluation Center has expertise in the latest research and evaluation methods.
  • The American Evaluation Association can help find an evaluator.

Intellectual Property

• • The Technology Transfer Office provides services that connect research to the marketplace and is focused specifically on protecting and commercializing intellectual property as well as fostering entrepreneurship within the campus community.

International Research/Export Control

• • Foreign Activity – Provides guidance to ensure that research and educational activities at UC Davis are compliant with federal regulation, state law, university policy, and research sponsor requirements – specifically relating to disclosing foreign relationships and activities.
  • Export Control – Federal export control laws govern the international shipment or transmission of certain controlled or sensitive physical items, technology, information or software as defined by the U.S. State Department International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the U.S. Commerce Department Export Administration Regulations (EAR) or foreign entities.
    • These laws also apply to “deemed exports” where there is a “release” or sharing of export-controlled information or technology to any foreign national in the United States, which may include individuals working at UC Davis in your lab or facility.

Research Computing

• • High-Performance Computing Core Facility is a campus research core facility in the Office of Research specializing in high-performance computing systems for research and education.
    • High-performance computing (HPC) is the practice of aggregating computing power in a way that delivers much higher performance than one could get out of a typical desktop computer or workstation in order to solve large problems in science, engineering, or business.
  • Secure Research Computing Environment is a cloud-based research infrastructure program. It is designed to be used by researchers who need to meet a compliance standard in order to work with highly sensitive data.

Research Ethics

• • Compliance, Ethics, Safety – The Research Ethics and Compliance Office (RECO), formerly named Research Compliance and Integrity, provides oversight and services to ensure that research conducted at UC Davis complies with all applicable policies and regulations.
  • Research Misconduct – The Research Ethics and Compliance Office (RECO) is responsible for evaluating and investigating all allegations of misconduct related to research at UC Davis.
  • Clinical Research Ethics – The clinical research ethics resource provides expertise to researchers seeking advice regarding ethically complex aspects of their biomedical research. The service is available to assist investigators throughout the life of a research project, from the initial design phase of the study through dissemination of research findings.

Research Safety

• • Research Safety – By maintaining high workplace safety standards, Safety Services partners with campus to protect our staff and students, and also the integrity of UC Davis research. Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) provides resources, training, and consultation to researchers.
    • Chemical Safety – Provides resources, training, and consultation to departments using chemicals.
    • Laboratory Safety – Provides resources, training, and consultation to laboratory researchers.
    • Radiological Safety – The purpose of the University’s Health Physics Program is to assure the safe use of ionizing radiation through training, consultation, and surveillance consistent with University, State, and Federal regulations.
    • Controlled Substances – The UC Davis Controlled Substance Program provides the special requirements and procedures applicable to the procurement, storage, use, transfer, disposal, and inspections of controlled substances.
    • Biosafety – The Biological Safety Office ensures the safe use of infectious biological agents, recombinant DNA/RNA, and the propagation and release of recombinant organisms.