Responsible Conduct of Research
The University of Alabama is committed to supporting responsible and ethical conduct of research and scholarship among its faculty, staff, and students. Responsible conduct of research training contributes to a culture of intellectual honesty and demonstrates a commitment to ethical responsibilities by academia. To affirm this commitment, the University of Alabama requires individuals who design and conduct research and/or report and publish research outcomes to complete in the Responsible Conduct of Research training.
RCR Requirements
Recipients of awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are required to comply with specific requirements to ensure appropriate training in the responsible conduct of research. Researchers applying for, and receiving, support from NSF, NIFA, and the NIH will need to be familiar with these respective regulations, as well as provide documentation of appropriate training as required under the terms of the award. Regardless of funding, however, these core ethical values are expected to be upheld in all research conducted at the University and it recommended that all researchers complete RCR training.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Beginning with new proposals submitted or due on or after July 31, 2023, faculty and other senior personnel funded by NSF to conduct research will need to participate in Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research training. Refer to the DUN22612 (senate.gov)
While Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training is recommended for all researchers, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) require faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and any staff participating in the research project to receive appropriate training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research. The online RCR training can be completed through the CITI Program: CITI – Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (citiprogram.org).
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The NIH has established a training requirement in RCR for individuals receiving support through NIH Institutional Research Training Grants, Individual Fellowship Awards, Career Development Awards (Institutional and Individual), Research Education Grants, Dissertation Research Grants, and any other program that requires such training as identified in the NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement. The RCR training requirement applies to all trainees, fellows, participants, scholars, and faculty who are supported by National Institutes of Health including competitive renewals. NOT-OD-10-019: Update on the Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (nih.gov).
*Online training (CITI) is not sufficient to meet the NIH requirement. Training should involve eight or more contact hours depending on the NIH award type.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
The NSF has established a training requirement in the responsible conduct of research for students, postdoctoral fellows (postdocs), faculty, and other senior personnel supported by NSF projects. The requirement applies to all undergraduates, graduate students, postdoc, and faculty researchers who are supported by NSF projects submitted (and subsequently awarded) after July 31, 2023, including competitive renewals. The RCR training requirement also applies to Principal Investigators supported by NSF projects or directing students or postdocs supported on NSF projects.
The new regulations implement provisions of the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 23-1) | NSF – National Science Foundation.
The University of Alabama utilizes online training through the CITI program to meet this requirement. CITI – Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (citiprogram.org).
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) requires all participants including all program directors, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and any staff participating in the research project to receive appropriate training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research. The new RCR training requirement is applicable to all awards subject to the USDA NIFA COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE (nsf.gov) or subsequent Terms and Conditions that contain the RCR training requirement.
The University of Alabama utilizes the CITI program to meet this requirement. CITI – Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (citiprogram.org)
Q: What is Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)?
A: Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is defined as “the practice of scientific investigation with integrity.” It involves the awareness and application of established professional norms and ethical principles in the performance of all activities related to scientific research. Projects funded by NIH, NSF, and USDA NIFA have specific requirements regarding training in RCR.
Q: Are all researchers required to receive RCR training?
A: The University of Alabama is committed to maintaining a research environment that promotes attention to the highest ethical standards for all sponsored and non-sponsored research. At this point in time, only research projects with a specific RCR requirement will be monitored to assure compliance with the funding agencies’ respective requirements. The Office for Research Ethics and Compliance recommends, however, that a minimum, all researchers complete the Responsible Conduct of Research training modules within the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) online course. On-campus seminars are also offered on an ongoing basis, these are highly recommended to ensure an ongoing culture of ethical research at the University, and are designed to engage further thought and discussion on RCR topics.
Q: Does the RCR training plan have to be in place before any NSF award is made, or at the time of NSF proposal submission?
A: The RCR training plan must be in place at the time of NSF proposal submission.
Q: What are the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training requirements for specific funding agencies?
A: NIH- CITI online RCR and at least 8 hours of face-to-face training/interaction in a course that involves faculty instructors
NSF- CITI online RCR or face-to-face training
NIFA- CITI online RCR or face-to-face training
Q: How often does RCR training need to be completed?
A: NIH stipulates that training occur at least once during each career stage and no less than once every 4 years. NSF has deemed that each institution is responsible for both the content and frequency requirements with which training must occur.
Q: Is RCR training different from the Human Subjects CITI training that is required?
A: Yes, please note that RCR training is separate from human subjects research training required for IRB submissions.
Q: Does the RCR training plan have to be in place before any award is made, or at the time of proposal submission?
A: The RCR training plan must be in place at the time of proposal submission for all funding agencies. NIH requires that the training plan be discussed in the proposal.
Q: When do the new NSF regulations take effect?
A: The new NSF regulations apply to grants submitted for funding to NSF on or after July 31, 2023. If awarded, all individuals participating in the NSF-funded research will be required to complete RCR
training. This includes PIs, Co-PIs, senior research personnel, postdocs, and graduate and undergraduate students.
Q: How are the new NSF regulations different from what I have been doing?
A: The new NSF regulations expand the RCR requirement to include PIs and senior personnel. PIs and senior personnel will need to complete RCR training that includes information on mentoring. There is no change to the requirement already in place for trainee researchers (undergraduate and graduate students) and post docs funded by NSF awards.
Q: I already completed RCR training for my NIH grant. Do I have to re-train to meet the new NSF requirement?
A: If you have completed the UA RCR training within the last 4 years, this is sufficient. The NIH RCR programming meets the NSF requirement.
Q: Does the RCR requirement flow down to any sub-awardee identified on the project?
A: Yes. At the time of proposal submission, the Authorized Representative of the proposing institution is responsible for certifying that its institution has a plan to provide appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers who will be supported to conduct research. The RCR training requirement does flow down to all sub-awardees, at any tier. The proposing institution must therefore ensure that these RCR requirements are appropriately addressed in the sub-award instrument.