The Science Behind Compass

How We Got Started

Compass is led by Drs. Alison Antes, Program Director, and Tristan McIntosh, Program Co-Director. Both are workplace psychologists and faculty in the Bioethics Research Center (BRC) at Washington University School of Medicine, and they lead federally funded research and educational initiatives focused on leading and managing others, responsible conduct of research (RCR), and professional decision-making. They teach on the topics of leadership, mentoring, and responsible research through the Professionalism & Integrity (P.I.) Program’s On-the-Road workshops. Additionally, through the Professional Skills for Researchers Coaching Program, Dr. Antes provides coaching to researchers at institutions nationwide who have been referred due to investigations for research integrity or noncompliance.

Compass leverages findings from several collaborative research projects conducted by Drs. Antes and McIntosh, and BRC Director, Dr. James DuBois.

Collectively, this research indicates that while traditional scientific training equips investigators to conduct scientific research, it falls short in preparing early-career investigators to lead and manage their laboratories or research teams effectively.

Fostering Integrity and Societal Impact in Genomics Through Management and Leadership Practices (NHGRI)
Examining Lab Leadership and Management Practices That Foster A Climate For Research Ethics (ORI)
Developing Action Plans for Responding to Noncompliance (NCATS)
Cultural Influences on Professional Decision-Making in Research (NSF)
Leading Personnel When Normal Research Operations are Upended (NSF)

Compass provides a nationally accessible training and mentoring program to address this skills gap in the research workforce. By applying insights from research findings and innovative training methods, Compass equips early-career investigators with the practical leadership and management skills necessary to enhance research rigor, reproducibility, and transparency, and to create supportive and inclusive research environments.

Our Research

Below are our team’s peer-reviewed papers that laid the groundwork for and informed Compass program development:

Are Leadership and Management Essential for Good Research? An Interview Study of Genetic Researchers

Antes AL, Mart A, DuBois JM. J Empir Res Hum Res Ethics 2016 Dec;11(5):408-423. doi: 10.1177/1556264616668775. Epub 2016 Sep 21. PMID: 27646401; PMCID: PMC5182150.

The Role of Culture and Acculturation in Researchers’ Perceptions of Rules in Science

Antes AL, English T, Baldwin KA, DuBois JM. Sci Eng Ethics. 2018 Apr;24(2):361-391. doi: 10.1007/s11948-017-9876-4. Epub 2017 Mar 20. PMID: 28321685

Cultivating the Human Dimension in Research

Antes AL, DuBois JM. Mol Cell. 2018 Oct 18;72(2):207-210. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.09.015. PMID: 30340021

First Law of Leadership: Be Human First, Scientist Second

Antes A. Nature 2018 Nov;563(7733):601. doi: 10.1038/d41586-018-07530-7. PMID: 30479391.

Five Dimensions of Research Ethics: A Stakeholder Framework for Creating a Climate of Research Integrity

DuBois JM, Antes AL. Acad Med. 2018 Apr;93(4):550-555. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000001966. PMID: 29068823; PMCID: PMC5916747.

Leading for research excellence and integrity: A qualitative investigation of the relationship-building practices of exemplary principal investigators.

Antes AL, Kuykendall A, DuBois JM. Account Res. 2019 Apr;26(3):198-226. doi: 10.1080/08989621.2019.1611429. Epub 2019 May 14. PMID: 31033345.

The lab management practices of "Research Exemplars" that foster research rigor and regulatory compliance: A qualitative study of successful principal investigators

Antes AL, Kuykendall A, DuBois JM. PLoS One. 2019 Apr 24;14(4):e0214595. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214595. PMID: 31017929; PMCID: PMC6481787.

Leading the people and leading the work: Practical considerations for ethical research

McIntosh, T., Sanders, C., & Antes, A. L. Transl Issues Psychol Sci. 2020 Sep;6(3):257-270. doi: 10.1037/tps0000260. PMID: 34660847; PMCID: PMC8519508.

How to Conduct Responsible Research: A Guide for Graduate Students

Antes AL, Maggi LB Jr. Curr Protoc. 2021 Mar;1(3):e87. doi: 10.1002/cpz1.87. Erratum in: Curr Protoc. 2022 Aug;2(8):e551. doi: 10.1002/cpz1.551. PMID: 33740292; PMCID: PMC8277481.

How to Navigate Trainee-Mentor Relationships and Interpersonal Dynamics in the Lab.

Antes AL, Kuykendall A, DuBois JM. Account Res. 2019 Apr;26(3):198-226. doi: 10.1080/08989621.2019.1611429. Epub 2019 May 14. PMID: 31033345.

Navigating Complex, Ethical Problems in Professional Life: a Guide to Teaching SMART Strategies for Decision-Making

McIntosh T, Antes AL, DuBois JM. J Acad Ethics. 2021 Jun;19(2):139-156. doi: 10.1007/s10805-020-09369-y. Epub 2020 Apr 23. PMID: 34177401; PMCID: PMC8221192.

Other Supporting Research

Leadership problems in the lab

Van Noorden, R. (2018). Nature, 557 (17 may 2018), 294-296.

On Leading a Lab: Strengthening Scientific Leadership in Responsible Research: Proceedings of a Workshop.

Nielsen, B., & Whitacre, P. (2024). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39591483/

Climate of Accountability, Respect, and Ethics Survey (CARES): development and validation of an organizational climate survey.

Martinson, B. C., Smallfield, J., Magley, V. J., Thrush, C. R., & Gunsalus, C. K. (2025). Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, 10, 1516726.

A sensemaking approach to ethics training for scientists: Preliminary evidence of training effectiveness.

Mumford, M. D., Connelly, S., Brown, R. P., Murphy, S. T., Hill, J. H., Antes, A. L., … & Devenport, L. D. (2008). Ethics & behavior, 18(4), 315-339.

Development and validation of the Survey of Organizational Research Climate (SORC)

Martinson, B. C., Thrush, C. R., & Lauren Crain, A. (2013). Science and engineering ethics, 19, 813-834.

Some hard numbers on science's leadership problems.

Van Noorden R. Nature. 2018;557:294-6.

Scientists need leadership training.

Kvaskoff M, McKay SD. Nature. 2014;506(7487):159-.

Scientists must be taught to manage

Seeliger J. Nature. 2012;483(7391):511.

How lab heads can learn to lead

Kwok R. Nature. 2018;557:457-9.

Leadership training for early career researchers

Clayton J. Science. 2015.

Enhance your career with leadership skills.

Holgate SA. Science. 2012.

Professionalizing the role of peer leaders in stem

Bowling B, Doyle M, Taylor J, Antes AL. J STEM Educ. 2015;16(2):30-9.

Mentoring for responsible research: The creation of a curriculum for faculty to teach rcr in the research environment

Plemmons DK, Kalichman MW. Science and Engineering Ethics. 2017;24(1):207-26.

Environmental influences on ethical decision making: Climate and environmental predictors of research integrity

Mumford MD, Murphy ST, Connelly S, Hill JH, Antes AL, Brown RP, et al. Ethics Behav. 2007;17(4):337-66.

Lab dynamics: Management and leadership skills for scientists. 3rd ed.

Cohen CM, Cohen SL. Cold Spring Harbor, New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; 2018.

Leadership development: A review in context

Day DV. Leadership Q. 2000;11(4):581-613.

Developing as a leader

Ashford SJ, DeRue DS. Organ Dyn. 2012;41(2):146-54.

The key to a happy lab life is in the manual

Aly M. Nature. 2018;561(7721):7-8.