Objective  To establish a teaching framework integrating scientific research innovation and ethical education, and develop nuclear medicine talents possessing dual-core competencies.

Methods  A three-stage teaching pathway of "lesson case infiltration-case practice-comprehensive evaluation" was adopted to provide a teaching framework integrating scientific research innovation and ethical education. A one-group pre-post controlled interventional study design was used. Self-designed questionnaires were administered online using the Wenjuanxing platform to 39 undergraduate students (17 males and 22 females, aged 20–22 years) from the 2021 and 2022 cohorts at Peking University International Hospital, one week before the course (May 2024 and May 2025) and one week after the course (June 2024 and June 2025). Paired chi-square test and paired-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for the statistical analysis of data collected before and after the teaching intervention.

Results  After the teaching intervention, the awareness rate of subject protection core documents increased from 46.2% (18/39) to 84.6% (33/39) (χ²=2.000, P=0.001). The median score for clinical research risk perception increased from 1.0 (0.0, 2.0) point to 2.0 (1.0, 2.0) points, and the median score for protection of subject informed consent increased from 1.0 (1.0, 2.0) point to 2.0 (2.0, 3.0) points; the differences for both indicators were statistically significant (Z=2.041, 2.508; both P<0.05). The median score for medical ethical cognition increased from 1.0 (1.0, 2.0) point to 1.5 (1.0, 2.0) points, and the median score for management of subject injury increased from 1.0 (1.0, 2.0) points to 2.0 (1.0, 2.0) points; however, these differences were not statistically significant (Z=1.732, 1.823; both P>0.05). After the teaching intervention, the proportion of students who reported "understanding and/or familiarity" with the association between medical humanities and principle documents increased from 28.2% (11/39) to 71.8% (28/39), exhibiting a statistically significant difference (χ²=16.667, P=0.011). The proportion of students who reported "understanding and/or familiarity" with the integration of medical humanities and research design increased from 23.1% (9/39) to 53.8% (21/39), but the difference was not statistically significant (χ²=10.345, P=0.056).

Conclusion  This teaching framework can effectively improve students′ scientific research innovation and ethical literacy, potentially offering novel ideas for integrated teaching and talent cultivation in nuclear medicine and similar disciplines.