Terms and Conditions

Preamble

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between Research Junction Institute ("RJI," "the Institute," "we," "our," or "us") and any person who accesses, registers for, applies to, or otherwise uses the Institute's website, digital platforms, membership programs, educational services, mentorship programs, or research activities ("you" or a "Member").

By accessing any part of the Institute's website, submitting an application, completing registration, making a payment, or otherwise availing yourself of any Institute service, you represent that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms in their entirety. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must refrain from accessing or using any Institute service.

1. Definitions and Interpretation

"Academy" means the Research Junction Academy, the Institute's foundational research training program.

"Community" means the Research Junction Community, the Institute's program for individuals with existing research competency.

"Institute Materials" means all curricula, modules, templates, protocols, guides, documents, graphics, trademarks, logos, software, and other content owned, licensed, or controlled by the Institute.

"Member" means any individual admitted into, registered with, or participating in any Institute program.

"Policies" means the Institute's Authorship Policy, Research Integrity Policy, Academy Policy, Community Policy, Privacy Policy, Code of Conduct, and any other policy adopted by the Institute from time to time.

"Services" means all educational, research, mentorship, and collaborative activities and platforms made available by the Institute.

2. Acceptance and Scope

2.1 These Terms govern the relationship between the Institute and every individual who interacts with it in any capacity, including website visitors, enrolled Academy students, Community members, researchers, mentors, Lead Investigators, reviewers, volunteers, guest collaborators, and donors.

2.2 Where you access Institute services on behalf of an organization or institution, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

3. Eligibility

3.1 Participation in Institute Services is open to individuals with a genuine interest in scientific research, medical research, education, or scholarly collaboration. All Members must be at least sixteen (16) years of age at the time of registration.

3.2 The Academy does not require prior research experience and is open to eligible applicants from science-related disciplines, including medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, public health, and cognate fields. Applicants from other disciplines remain eligible where they demonstrate genuine interest. The Institute retains sole discretion to decline or defer any application.

3.3 The Community is reserved for individuals who already possess demonstrable research knowledge or practical research skills, including literature searching, scientific writing, data extraction, statistical analysis, systematic review methodology, or comparable skills. Admission is discretionary. Applicants deemed unsuitable for the Community may be redirected to the Academy.

3.4 The Institute reserves the right to verify eligibility criteria, request supporting documentation, and revoke admission where information provided is false, misleading, or incomplete.

4. Membership

4.1 Membership entitles a Member to access educational resources, research opportunities, mentorship, and collaborative activities in accordance with their enrollment category.

4.2 Membership is personal and non-transferable. A Member may not permit any third party to access Institute Services using the Member's credentials.

4.3 No Guarantee of Outcomes. Membership constitutes access to education, mentorship, and collaborative opportunity only. Membership does not represent, warrant, or guarantee: publication of any manuscript; acceptance by any journal; receipt of academic awards; employment of any kind; residency or fellowship placement; admission to any academic institution; acceptance to any conference; receipt of grants or funding; or any other specific academic, professional, or financial outcome.

5. Services

5.1 Depending on membership category, the Institute may make available: medical research education; research training; mentorship; manuscript development support; research collaboration; educational workshops; scientific writing support; and academic networking.

5.2 The Institute reserves the right to modify, suspend, expand, rebrand, or discontinue any Service, in whole or in part, at any time without prior notice or liability.

6. Membership Fees

6.1 Certain Institute programs require recurring membership fees billed monthly unless otherwise specified.

6.2 The Institute reserves the right to amend its fee structure at any time. Continued membership following notice of a pricing update constitutes acceptance of the revised fees.

6.3 Members are responsible for maintaining accurate and current payment information and for any fees, taxes, or charges arising from failed, reversed, or disputed transactions.

7. Refund Policy

7.1 All payments made to the Institute are final. Except as required by applicable law, no refunds shall be issued for membership fees, Academy enrollment, Community membership, educational programs, digital resources, or any other paid Service, regardless of the extent to which such Service has been utilized.

7.2 Members are strongly encouraged to review all available program information, curricula, and policies prior to submitting payment.

8. Donations

8.1 The Institute accepts voluntary donations in furtherance of its educational and research mission.

8.2 A donation does not create membership rights, authorship rights, ownership interests, or any entitlement to Services.

8.3 Except where required by applicable law, all donations are non-refundable.

9. Intellectual Property

9.1 All right, title, and interest in and to Institute Materials remain the exclusive property of the Institute at all times, including the Academy curriculum, learning modules, educational videos, research templates, internal protocols, study guides, documents, graphics, logos, and website content.

9.2 Institute Materials are licensed to Members solely for personal, non-commercial, educational use within their participation in Institute programs. No other license is granted.

9.3 Members shall not copy, reproduce, distribute, upload, sell, sublicense, share, or otherwise transmit Institute Materials outside the Academy or Community without the Institute's prior written consent.

9.4 Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of Institute Materials constitutes a material breach of these Terms.

10. Ownership of Academic Work

10.1 Research projects conducted through the Institute are administered under the Institute's oversight. The Institute retains ownership of all educational content, institutional resources, research infrastructure, internal templates, and Academy-generated materials used in connection with such projects.

10.2 Authors shall receive academic authorship credit strictly in accordance with the Institute's Authorship Policy. The Institute shall be formally acknowledged in every manuscript submitted through its programs.

10.3 Nothing in this Section transfers to the Institute any pre-existing intellectual property that a Member brings into a project independently of their participation in Institute programs.

11. Member Responsibilities

Each Member agrees, as a continuing condition of participation, to: maintain professionalism in all interactions; treat other Members, staff, mentors, and collaborators with respect; comply with these Terms and all applicable Policies; submit honest, original, and properly attributed work; protect the confidentiality of proprietary, sensitive, or unpublished information; meet assigned deadlines; communicate promptly where delays arise; and uphold the principles of academic integrity in all research and educational activities.

12. Academic Integrity

12.1 The Institute expects all Members to produce original contributions and is committed to fostering authentic scholarly work.

12.2 The Institute discourages the use of artificial intelligence tools to generate substantive manuscript content submitted as a Member's own work.

12.3 Manuscripts found to contain excessive plagiarism or unacceptable AI-generated content will be returned for correction within a reasonable period.

12.4 Where deficiencies remain uncorrected, the Institute may remove the Member's contribution from the relevant project and revoke authorship eligibility.

13. Code of Conduct

13.1 Members must conduct themselves professionally in all dealings with the Institute, its staff, mentors, and fellow Members.

13.2 The following conduct is expressly prohibited: plagiarism; data fabrication; data falsification; unauthorized sharing of Academy Materials; academic dishonesty; harassment; bullying; discrimination on any protected ground; misrepresentation of research or credentials; repeated or willful failure to comply with Institute Policies; and any conduct reasonably likely to damage the reputation or mission of the Institute.

14. Warnings and Membership Discipline

14.1 Members who violate these Terms or applicable Policies will, in most circumstances, be afforded an opportunity to correct their conduct prior to termination.

14.2 Repeated or serious violations may result in: temporary suspension; removal from research projects; loss of authorship eligibility; or permanent termination of membership.

14.3 The Institute may act without prior warning where a violation is sufficiently serious or poses a risk to the Institute, its Members, or third parties.

15. Privacy

The Institute processes personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

16. Limitation of Liability

16.1 Services are provided on an "as available" and "as is" basis, without warranties of any kind.

16.2 To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Institute shall not be liable for: publication or editorial decisions made by any journal; research outcomes or academic performance; career advancement or professional opportunities; loss of opportunity; technical interruptions; or any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages.

16.3 Nothing in these Terms shall exclude or limit liability for death, personal injury, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

16.4 To the extent any liability of the Institute is not validly excluded, such liability shall be limited in aggregate to the total membership fees paid by the affected Member in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

17. Indemnification

Each Member agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Institute and its directors, officers, employees, mentors, volunteers, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising out of or connected with: (a) the Member's breach of these Terms or any applicable Policy; (b) the Member's violation of any applicable law or third-party right; or (c) any content submitted by the Member that infringes the intellectual property or other rights of a third party.

18. Termination

18.1 A Member may discontinue their membership at any time by providing written notice to the Institute.

18.2 The Institute reserves the right to suspend or terminate any membership, with or without prior notice, where it reasonably determines a Member has violated these Terms or any applicable Policy.

18.3 Termination does not affect any financial obligations accrued prior to termination, the Institute's intellectual property rights, or any provision intended to survive termination.

19. Force Majeure

The Institute shall not be liable for any failure or delay resulting from circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including natural disaster, act of government, epidemic, internet or telecommunications failure, or similar event.

20. Amendments

20.1 The Institute reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. Amended Terms become effective upon publication on the Institute's website.

20.2 A Member's continued participation in any Institute Service following the publication of amended Terms constitutes acceptance of the amended Terms.

21. General Provisions

Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with incorporated Policies and any applicable programme-specific agreement, constitute the entire agreement between the Member and the Institute.

Severability. If any provision is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force.

No Waiver. No failure or delay by the Institute in exercising any right shall operate as a waiver of that right.

Assignment. A Member may not assign any right or obligation under these Terms without the Institute's prior written consent. The Institute may assign its rights to any successor or acquiring entity.

Governing Law. These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable law. The parties shall first attempt to resolve any dispute through good-faith negotiation.

Electronic Communications. Members consent to receive communications from the Institute electronically.

22. Governing Policies

These Terms are to be read together with all official Institute Policies, including the Authorship Policy, Research Integrity Policy, Academy Policy, Community Policy, Privacy Policy, and Code of Conduct. In the event of any inconsistency between these Terms and a specific Policy on a matter that Policy expressly addresses, the specific Policy shall prevail.

23. Contact Information

Questions or notices regarding these Terms and Conditions should be directed to Research Junction Institute at help@researchjunction.org.

By accessing or using any Research Junction Institute Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.