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Office of Research and Innovation
Research Administration and Compliance

RCR Training: RCR Credit for Non-Authorized Catalog Courses

If you are enrolled in or completed a catalog course that is not listed as an RCR-authorized course but you believe the course content sufficiently addresses Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR)  to be considered for RCR credit, you may request RCR credit approval.

Step 1: Obtain the Course Syllabus

Collect the detailed syllabus for the specific course, ensuring it includes the course description, topics covered, and week-by-week breakdown of content. Pay special attention to highlighting any content that directly addresses RCR-related topics.  

Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Plagiarism 
  • Authorship 
  • Collaborative Research 
  • Conflicts of Interest 
  • Data Management 
  • Mentoring 
  • Peer Review 
  • Research Misconduct 
  • Research Security and Transparency

Step 2: Submit an RCR Course Credit Request

Submit a request to the RCR administrator via email at rcr-administrator@ncsu.edu. Your request should include:

  • The course name and catalog number.
  • The full course syllabus.
  • The sponsored project in which you are participating.  Please provide the name of the Principal Investigator (PI), the Sponsor and a project ID number (Ledger 5 Account number orPAM Number).  If you don’t know the project ID number, please consult the PI. 

Step 3: Review

The RCR Administrator will evaluate the course content against the RCR requirement criteria to determine if the course sufficiently covers RCR principles. If the RCR Administrator determines it does, they will seek credit approval from the Director of Research Compliance. This review typically takes up to 10 business days.

Step 4: Notification of Decision

You will receive an email notification of the credit decision, typically within 10 business days of request. If approved, the course will be recognized for RCR credit toward your RCR requirement and the RCR administrator will update the system records. If the course is not approved, you will be advised on alternative pathways to meet your RCR requirement.