The National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) require training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) under the authority of the America Competes Act legislation for all undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers who participate in federally sponsored research awards.

The University’s recommends in-person training to fulfill the RCR requirement. Options are provided for satisfying the training requirement, which must be completed during the course of the individual’s involvement in the federally funded project. The options include:

1. Approved Department-sponsored RCR Course, including GRAD 5910: Responsible Conduct in Research, which is a 1-credit graduate course offered every semester satisfying the RCR requirement.   Some departments currently offer an RCR course and may require that all of their students take it, regardless of involvement in federally sponsored research.

2. Two-part RCR training consisting of:

1. Online CITI Training . A four-hour online RCR training is offered through the CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) program ( http://www.citiprogram.org ).  This course is available to all members of the university community. You may register to take the RCR training modules by selecting the University of Connecticut Storrs from the drop-down list of participating institutions and creating a username and password of your choice. Doing so will allow you to enter and leave the site and complete the course at your own pace.

2. In-Person Training . The in-person training is intended to complement on-line training by providing further depth of content and interactive discussion around the components of RCR training.  Thus, the online component should be completed prior to attending any in-person sessions. The in-person component can be fulfilled by attending two in-person training sessions offered by The Graduate School over the course of a one year period.  For more information, go to: http://grad.uconn.edu/current-students/a-scholars-life/programming/rcr/ .

 

Handout – Requirements for Students Working on NSF or NIH FUNDED Research Projects

Contacts

For general information pertaining to this requirement:

 

References

NIH Update on the Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research

NSF Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Frequently Asked Questions