Bioinspired Communication & Ethics

Bioinspired Communication and Ethics

Course Schedule (Fall 2026)

📅 Semester Overview

📐 Module Sequence

Module Sessions Weeks Focus
Module 1: Foundations of Teamwork 6 Aug 24 – Sep 14 Team formation, CATME, collaboration skills
Module 2: Proposal Writing & Review 7 Sep 16 – Oct 7 Evidence-consistent framing, current NSF/NIH criteria, review, responsible AI, and a GCR-inspired concept
Module 3: Scientific Writing & Peer Review 6 Oct 14 – Nov 2 Reader-based writing, argument revision, real referee records, response letters, AI verification, and venue requirements
Module 4: Research Ethics 7 + presentations Nov 4 – Dec 7 Authorship, AI ethics, misconduct, conflicts of interest, sci-comm, IP, and final presentations

🗓️ Weekly Schedule

Module 1: Foundations of Teamwork (6 sessions)

# Date Topic Key Activities Deliverable
1 Mon, Aug 24 CATME & Peer Evaluation CATME walkthrough and rater practice; free-rider and AI-labor microcases; SBIF feedback role-play Rater Practice + exit ticket
2 Wed, Aug 26 Team Formation & Shared Standards Apollo 13 case; team interviews; “unit conversion” and deadline-error microcases; core Charter drafting Team Charter core draft
3 Mon, Aug 31 When the Tools Change the Work Frontiers workflow reconstruction; tool/labor audit; inaccessible-workspace microcase; verification protocol Charter Appendix A: Tooling & Verification
4 Wed, Sep 2 Cross-Disciplinary Communication AlphaFold evidence/inference audit; skills and limits; shared glossary; integration mapping Charter Appendix B: Skills & Integration
5 Wed, Sep 9 Credit, Conflict & Accountability Transistor + BCS evidence jigsaw; two-first-authors microcase; conflict protocol; contribution planning Charter Appendix C: Contribution & Credit
  Mon, Sep 7 NO CLASS Labor Day  
6 Mon, Sep 14 Trust Under Pressure Challenger + BioNTech/Pfizer decision maps; outcome-bias check; network map; Charter stress test Final practice-trio Charter package

Module 2: Proposal Writing & Review (7 sessions)

# Date Topic Key Activities Deliverable
7 Wed, Sep 16 Research Pathways & Evidence-Consistent Framing Three official Nobel source cases; evidence/classification audit; paragraph reframe  
8 Mon, Sep 21 Funding Agencies & Your First Research Narrative Current NSF/NIH frameworks; draft challenge and objectives; cross-disciplinary review Challenge/Objectives Draft
9 Wed, Sep 23 Writing the Research Narrative Public NIH aims-page analysis; argument map; revision; elevator test Revised Challenge/Objectives
10 Mon, Sep 28 Criteria Calibration: IM, BI & Evidence Use an instructor-authorized proposal packet to compare students’ own assessment with selected authentic reviewer comments; distinguish proposal evidence, reviewer inference, and revision moves In-class calibration memo (Participation)
11 Wed, Sep 30 AI in Proposal Development: Use, Evidence & Confidentiality Role-specific policy jigsaw; confidential-review microcase; claim verification; safe workflow Individual AI Note + Team Concept Protocol
12 Mon, Oct 5 Formal Peer Review & Responding to Critique Independent review; formal panel; panel summary; response-to-critique memo Panel Summary
13 Wed, Oct 7 GCR-Inspired Team Concept Workshop Convergence test; pre-draft cross-review; reviewer–author conference; revision sprint Concept Note (final due Oct 14)
  Mon, Oct 12 NO CLASS Fall Break  

Module 3: Scientific Writing & Peer Review (6 sessions)

# Date Topic Key Activities Deliverable
14 Wed, Oct 14 Reading, Reporting, and the Reader’s Work Gopen & Swan reader expectation; CARS move audit; tiered-reading measurement; reporting-guideline orientation; topic, audience, and permission Portfolio: Topic, Audience & Scope
15 Mon, Oct 19 Writing Principles and Their Boundaries Whitesides outline-as-instrument; one observable rule tested in three preselected excerpts; conclusion-first drafting Portfolio: Draft 1
16 Wed, Oct 21 Revision as Argument Restructuring Public abstract map; clearly constructed comparison; structural vs. surface change; number audit Portfolio: Draft 2
17 Mon, Oct 26 Peer Review Systems, Venue Requirements, and What They Publish Real Nature referee reports; two eLife review regimes; assessment-vocabulary calibration; venue-property and version check; independent review Venue-property record (in class)
18 Wed, Oct 28 Responding to Review Published point-by-point rebuttal; answering a necessity challenge; response letter Portfolio: Peer Review + Response
19 Mon, Nov 2 AI Verification, Disclosure & Submission Common public input; equivalent direct-use and artifact-audit paths; claim verification; final revision sprint and submission readiness Portfolio: Final Version (due Nov 4)

Module 4: Research Ethics (7 content sessions + final presentations)

# Date Topic Key Activities Instructor
20 Wed, Nov 4 Introduction to Ethics in Scientific Research Ethics vs. law vs. morals; Resnik principles; Alberts systemic pressures; perverse incentives exercise Dr. Reckess
21 Mon, Nov 9 Authorship, Plagiarism & Peer Review ICMJE criteria; CRediT taxonomy; self-plagiarism; authorship scenarios; AI authorship exercise Prof. Zhang
22 Wed, Nov 11 Artificial Intelligence in Research Ghostwriting problem; AI bias; detection paradox; regulatory frameworks debate Eric Mathis (guest)
23 Mon, Nov 16 Research Misconduct FFP + gray zone; paper mills case; responding to suspected violations Dr. Reckess
24 Wed, Nov 18 Conflicts of Interest & Industry Relationships Individual and institutional COI; scenario analysis; mitigation plans Dr. Reckess
  Mon, Nov 23 NO CLASS Thanksgiving Break  
  Wed, Nov 25 NO CLASS Thanksgiving Break  
25 Mon, Nov 30 Science Communication and Science in Society Scientist/family info gap; genuine vs. false successes; press release rewrite; preliminary findings scenario Dr. Reckess
26 Wed, Dec 2 Intellectual Property & Ownership Four types of IP; CRISPR patent dispute; data sharing dilemma; course wrap-up Dr. Reckess
27 Mon, Dec 7 Final Team Presentations Formative project presentations; feedback informs the final report All instructors

Final Team Project (Technology & Responsibility Report) due: Tuesday, December 15

📝 Key Dates & Deadlines

Date Assignment Module
Sep 14 Final practice-trio Charter package Module 1
Sep 21 Challenge/Objectives Draft Module 2
Sep 23 Revised Challenge/Objectives Module 2
Oct 5 Panel Summary Module 2
Oct 14 GCR-Inspired Concept Note (final) Module 2
Oct 19 Writing Portfolio Draft 1 Module 3
Oct 21 Writing Portfolio Draft 2 Module 3
Oct 28 Writing Portfolio Peer Review + Response to Review Module 3
Nov 4 Writing Portfolio Final Version (AI verification record + revision history + submission-readiness check) Module 3
Dec 7 Technology & Responsibility Report Presentations (formative) Module 4
Dec 15 Technology & Responsibility Report Module 4

CATME Peer Evaluation Schedule

Evaluation Opens After Grade Impact
Rater Practice Module 1 practice None
Evaluation 1 Final Module 2 team concept note submitted (Oct 14) None — formative
Evaluation 2 Module 3 ends (Nov 2) None — formative
Evaluation 3 End of semester (Dec 7) Multiplier applied to team assignments
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