Responsible Conduct of Research

Online training is available through the CITI program under the course title "Social/Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research"

Instructions for Program & Course Registration

The RCR Course requires 2-4 hours to complete and users must achieve a minimum passing score of 80%. You are not required to complete the entire course in one session. The course tracks and records progress so that you may log in and out at your convenience.

 

Agency Specific RCR Training Requirements:

National Science Foundation (NSF)

At the time of proposal submission, the institution must certify via its authorized representative that it has a plan to provide appropriate RCR training and oversight to all investigators, regardless of career stage, who are supported by funds from an NSF grant to conduct research. The plan is not required to be submitted as a part of a proposal application, but the agency may request it at any time. The NSF does not require a specific method of delivery or minimum hours of instruction, but the organization advises that the training should be effective and appropriately tailored to the specific needs and circumstances at each university. Accordingly, it is the responsibility of each institution to determine both the focus and the delivery method for appropriate training. Institutions are responsible for verifying that the training has been received.

The NSF RCR training requirement applies to anyone receiving support from the grant, including PIs, key personnel, and sub-awardees. Anyone listed on the grant, even if he or she does not directly receive funds from the grant, is required to complete RCR training. The institutional training plan must be in place at the time of the proposal, but the actual training of individuals can take place at a later time as long as that expectation is listed in the institutional training plan.

 

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The NSF RCR training requirement applies to anyone receiving support from the grant, including PIs, key personnel, and sub-awardees. Anyone listed on the grant, even if he or she does not directly receive funds from the grant, is required to complete RCR training. The institutional training plan must be in place at the time of the proposal, but the actual training of individuals can take place at a later time as long as that expectation is listed in the institutional training plan.

 

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)- NIFA

USDA requires that any institution completing research funded by the USDA must foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and maintain and effectively communicate and train their staff regarding policies and procedures. The institution affirms, as part of the acceptance of the award, compliance with this policy.

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) updated their RCR requirements effective June 30, 2017. In the event an application to NIFA results in an award, the Authorized Representative (AR) assures, through acceptance of the award, that the institution will comply with the above requirements. Award recipients shall, upon request, make available to NIFA the policies, procedures, and documentation to support the conduct of the training.  Training can be either on-campus or off-campus training. The general content of the ethics training will, at a minimum, emphasize three key areas of research ethics: authorship and plagiarism, data and research integrity, and reporting misconduct.

The online RCR course available through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) satisfies the NIFA RCR training requirement.