Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training
The mission of NC State University is to maintain the integrity fundamental to research through the responsible and ethical conduct of its faculty, staff, and students. Responsible and ethical conduct of research is critical for excellence and maintaining the public trust. NC State is committed to fostering a robust research environment, in part through Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training and education.
What is RCR?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines RCR 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.” Until recently, emphasis on RCR focused primarily on research misconduct, defined by the themes of data fabrication and plagiarism. Today RCR is viewed as a much broader set of guiding principles and behaviors on topics including, but not limited to:
- Plagiarism
- Authorship
- Collaborative Research
- Conflicts of Interest
- Data Management
- Mentoring
- Peer Review
- Research Misconduct
- Research Security and Transparency
The goal of RCR education at NC State is to inform all individuals engaged in the research process about the key issues, current standards and best ethical practices.
| Federal Sponsor | Delivery method | Personnel required to do RCR Training | Federal guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Science Foundation (NSF) | Online Through CITI or an approved NC State course | Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Researchers, Faculty and other Senior Personnel supported to conduct research | NSF PAPPG 23-1 |
| USDA - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) | Online Through CITI or an approved NC State course | Program Directors, Faculty, Undergraduate Students, Postdoctoral Scholars, any staff participating in a USDA NIFA research project | NIFA: U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Terms and Conditions |
| National Institutes of Health (NIH) * | Face-to-face training | All trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, and dissertation research grant | NOT-OD-10-019: Update on the Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research |
* For NIH, the requirements for such training apply to all NIH Institutional Research Training Grants, Individual Fellowship Awards, Career Development Awards (Institutional and Individual), Research Education Grants, and Dissertation Research Grants. The programs are listed as: D43, D71, F05, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F37, F38, K01, K02, K05, K07, K08, K12, K18, K22, K23, K24, K25, K26, K30, K99/R00, KL1, KL2, R25, R36, T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T90/R90, TL1, TU2, and U2R.
