Virtual IINSPIRE LSAMP Summer Research Experience Program Online Responsible Conduct of Research Training
Responsible Conduct of Research Training – NSF, NIH and NIFA Required
The National Science Foundation (NSF) requires responsible conduct of research (RCR) training for all undergraduates, graduates, and post-doctoral fellows who conduct research supported by NSF funds. All institutions submitting applications must certify at the time of application submission that plans are in place to provide appropriate training and oversight of the RCR training. Certification of compliance with the requirements is given by the Office for Responsible Research (ORR) on behalf of the Vice President for Research.
Similarly, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires that all trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, or dissertation research grant must receive RCR training. This requirement also applies to all faculty, including new faculty, mid-career faculty and senior faculty, and professional and scientific employees receiving funding from these sources. Plans to meet the RCR requirements must be specified in the principal investigator’s proposal application.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) also considers education in RCR as essential in the preparation of future scientists. By accepting a NIFA award, the grantee assures that program directors, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and any staff participating in the research project receive appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research and that documentation of such training will be maintained. Grantees are advised that the documentation of the training is subject to NIFA review upon request.
NSF Training Requirements
NSF expects institutions to be able to verify that students receiving NSF funds, either in salary support or stipends to conduct research, receive RCR training. Unlike NIH, NSF has not specified the content for training and expects each institution to determine curriculum, taking into consideration the types of research conducted at the institution and the needs of the students who intend to pursue basic or applied research careers.
The RCR training requirement applies to new proposals to conduct research, excluding, for example, conference, symposium, workshop, or travel proposals.
The Offices of the Vice President for Research (VPR), Responsible Research (ORR), and Sponsored Programs Administration (OSPA) have developed two options of educational training to meet the National Science Foundation (NSF) responsible conduct of research (RCR) training requirements. These options are the basic requirements:
- Option 1: Successful completion of the core modules of the online RCR Basic Course hosted by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) at the University of Miami
— or —
- Option 2: A one-credit (or greater) course in RCR
Option 1: Online RCR Training
Individuals selecting the web-based program to meet RCR requirements must complete and pass the tests covering the following RCR core areas:
- Authorship
- Collaborative Research
- Conflicts of Interest
- Data Management
- Mentoring
- Peer Review
- Plagiarism
- Research Involving Human Subjects
- Research Misconduct
- Using Animal Subjects in Research
Optional modules offered in the CITI online RCR program include:
- Environmental and Social Dimensions of Engineering Research
- Export Controls and National Security
- Research, Ethics, and Society
Estimated time to complete the required modules is 1½ to 3 hours.
Accessing the Training
You will need to create an account in the CITI program before you can access the training. Once you’ve created your account, you can take the course and exam listed in the “My Courses” section under the Iowa State University heading.
I have attached an example of my registration
Results
Your score must be 80% or greater to receive certification of training. If your score is less than 80%, you will be allowed to retake the quiz. Your results will automatically be forwarded to the Office for Responsible Research. Please be sure to print a copy of certification for your files.
