Organization Chart

Research Integrity and Compliance

Debra Schaller Demers

Office of Research Integrity and Compliance

Debra (Debbie) Schaller-Demers, MSOM serves as Senior Director for Research Integrity and Compliance (RIC) and the Research Integrity Officer in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) at New York University (NYU). A seasoned leader and collaborator, Debra has over 20 years of experience in research management in higher education and non-profit organizations, with a successful track record in responsible conduct of research including compliance, outreach, and education.

Debbie oversees the Office of Research Integrity, including the Responsible Conduct of Research Program; the Office of Conflicts of Interest; and the Human Research Protections Program, including the Institutional Review Board. She is responsible for ensuring compliant research programs and implements a shared vision for openness, integrity, and reproducibility across NYU.

A thought leader in the industry, Debbie currently serves as the Immediate Past-President of the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI). She served on the SRAI Board of Directors from 2012 to 2015, is a Past-President of SRAI’s Northeast Section, the 2011 recipient of the SRAI Excellence Award - Intermediate Level and the SRAI Hartford-Nicholsen Award, and former Editor of the SRAI Catalyst. She was inducted as SRAI Distinguished Faculty in 2012.

Debbie is a sought-after speaker, facilitator and content/curriculum developer on research ethics/compliance and professional development across the globe. She was selected as SRAI’s recipient of the INORMS Award for Excellence in Research Management Leadership 2020 in recognition of outstanding contributions made at the international level to the research administration and management profession.

Debbie came to NYU from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she served as their Vice President, Research Outreach and Compliance. She started her career as the Research Integrity Education Coordinator at Weill Cornell Medical College and served as Weill Cornell’s Research Integrity/Conflicts Manager. Debra received her BA in Fine Art from Queens College, CUNY, and her MS in Organization and Management from Capella University.

The Research Integrity and Compliance (RIC) mission is to foster a shared vision for openness, integrity, and reproducibility across NYU that ensures ethical and compliant research programs. RIC works closely with other units under the OVPR umbrella and other NYU offices including: the Office of Sponsored Programs, University Animal Welfare Committee, Research Lab Safety, Office of General Counsel, Global Compliance Office (Research Security and Export Controls), and the Office of Technology Opportunities and Ventures (TOV).

RIC is comprised of the following four units:

Human Research Protections Program (HRPP): The NYU Washington Square HRPP is directed by Scott Fisher and includes the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and a Quality Assurance Post-Approval Monitoring program.
The IRB is comprised of faculty and staff from throughout the University in addition to a non-affiliated community member who together review human subjects research studies conducted under the auspices of NYU Washington Square. The IRB Administrative Office provides IRB support, training to the research community, and assists researchers in obtaining IRB approval through the Cayuse Human Ethics electronic submission system.
The Quality Assurance Post-Approval Monitoring Program further ensures that NYU human subject research is in scope with the approved protocol, compliant with applicable regulations/laws and University policies/guidance and provides additional training and support for the creation of successful IRB protocols.
Conflicts of Interest: The Office of Conflict of Interest (OCI) advises on issues pertaining to policy and procedures which impact the disclosure, management, and monitoring of conflicts of interest (financial and non-financial). The OCI supports training and the Washington Square campus school Deans in implementing NYU's Policy on Academic Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment by providing oversight in the identification and management of conflicts of interest related to research through the Cayuse Outside Interests (OI) electronic submission system. OCI has administrative oversight for the NYU Washington Square Conflicts Committee, a faculty advisory committee that provides additional objective review of research conflicts of interest.
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR): RIC is responsible for the design and implementation of responsible and ethical conduct of research policies, procedures, and educational programs for the NYU research community. RCR educational programming will be available to all members of the NYU research community including undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and senior personnel. This will consist of an online curriculum which covers core topics including: Responsible Authorship and Publication Practices (including guidelines for the use of generative AI), Mentor Training and Mentorship, Conflicts of Interest and Commitment, Human Research Protections, Animal Welfare, Peer Review (including confidentiality), Data Management (including acquisition, analysis, ethical use, sharing, and ownership), the scientist as a responsible member of society (including contemporary ethical issues in research, the environmental and societal impacts of scientific research, research security, export controls, and dual use research of concern), and research misconduct. In addition, the online curriculum will be supported by a series of in-person events (e.g., seminars, interactive case study discussions) on hot topics such as (but not limited to) research security, the ethical use of AI in research, effective mentoring, responsible authorship and publication, stewardship of research funds, and Intellectual Property rights. RIC is available for one-on-one consultations on these issues and for on-demand school/departmental presentations.
Research Integrity – Debra Schaller-Demers serves as the Research Integrity Officer (RIO) and is responsible for investigating allegations of research misconduct. Research misconduct is defined as fabrication, falsification, and/or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. A finding of research misconduct requires that there be a significant departure from accepted practices of the relevant research community; that the misconduct was committed intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly; and that the allegation be proven by a preponderance of the evidence. It does not include honest error or differences of opinion. All University community members are obligated to report suspected research misconduct as per this guidance: Procedures for Investigating Allegations of Research Misconduct.