Responsible Conduct of Research Program

All undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers supported by NSF financial assistance awards to conduct research on research grants submitted after January 4, 2010, must comply with the NSF training policy. Conferences, symposiums, workshops, and travel awards are exempt from this requirement. The NSF also refers to RCR as RECR (Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research), however, they are the same training and are more commonly referred to as RCR

The CHIPS & Science Act enacted in 2022 expanded RCR requirements for NSF research awards. Consistent with the act, beginning in 2023, Northeastern’s RCR requirements expanded to include all senior personnel (whether paid or unpaid) and specify the RCR curriculum to include mentorship (2023), research security, and export controls (both to become mandatory in 2024). Faculty paid from or identified as senior personnel on NSF grants must complete NSF’s mandate curriculum.

Additional information and guidance can be found at NSF – Responsible Conduct of Research

Training should be completed within 60 days of the start of the award.

The NSF allows for in-person training or CITI training to complete the RCR requirement. Students paid by NSF awards can elect to attend one or more in-person workshops or take the CITI online training to satisfy the requirement. Please visit the NU-RES CITI Training Program Site to view the matrix of modules for use by the NU Research Community, including who must take the training and when.

All trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, and/or dissertation research grant must receive instruction in the responsible conduct of research. This NIH policy took effect with all new and renewal applications submitted on or after January 25, 2010, and for all continuation applications with deadlines on or after January 1, 2011.

Applicable trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars who are supported longer than six months by their NIH projects, including sub-awards, must complete 8 hours of in-person RCR training within 12 months of receiving NIH support. Training must be performed every 4 years and at each new career stage

The requirement applies to the following programs: 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. This policy also applies to any other NIH-funded programs supporting research training, career development, or research education that require instruction in responsible conduct of research as stated in the relevant funding opportunity announcements.

Additional information and guidance can be found at NIH OER Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research

Discussion-based instruction in the responsible conduct of research is expected to remain a key feature of RCR training and to include substantive face-to-face interaction among participants and faculty. However, recognizing that advances in video conferencing now allow for effective “face-to-face” discussions to occur electronically, video conferencing options are incorporated into Northeastern’s RCR instruction. At the same time, video conferencing should not be the sole means for meeting the requirement for RCR instruction, and course design that employs only video conferencing is not considered acceptable, except in the circumstances described in NOT-OD-10-019, such as short-term research training and research education programs.

NU-RES will work with the colleges to confirm those NIH Trainees and Fellows who must complete Certification to satisfy applicable grant conditions. NU-RES will notify any such Trainees and Fellows of the next available RCR instruction courses and priority seats will be given to such Trainees and Fellows.

All undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers receiving support through any USDA-NIFA award must receive instruction in the responsible conduct of research.

Additional information and guidance can be found at USDA-NIFA – Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research

Training should be completed within 60 days of the start of the award.

The USDA/NIFA allows for in-person training or CITI training to complete the RCR requirement. Students paid by USDA/NIFA awards can elect to attend one or more in-person workshops or take the CITI online training to satisfy the requirement. Please visit the NU-RES CITI Training Program Site to view the matrix of modules for use by the NU Research Community, including who must take the training and when.

The in-person Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) course is open to all Northeastern faculty and students. The RCR course is offered in Boston during the academic year beginning in September and continuing through April. The course is approximately eight hours long, with significant researcher facilitation and administrative support, and uses discussions and case studies to examine basic ethical and regulatory requirements for conducting research. RCR is a highly recommended “best practices” course for those desiring to deepen their knowledge of ethical research and responsible conduct. It is also an excellent professional opportunity for anyone interested in furthering a career in research. This course fulfills the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) requirements for formal RCR instruction. Topics covered include research misconduct; responsible authorship and publication; mentor-mentee relationships; lab safety; conflicts of interest; peer review; data acquisition and management; stewardship; sexual harassment, diversity, and inclusion; and working with institutional regulatory bodies (i.e., IRB, IACUC, and IBC).

The responsible conduct of research (RCR) is essential to good science. RCR promotes the aims of scientific inquiry, fosters a research environment that enables scientists to work together toward common goals and promotes public confidence in scientific knowledge and progress for the public good. However, there are several serious detrimental effects of research not being conducted ethically and responsibly. These include, for example, data fabrication and falsification of results which undermine the pursuit of valid knowledge by misleading scientists to accept and further study false hypotheses or unreliable data. Likewise, plagiarism and harassment negatively impact the research environment by harming respect and trust among scientists. Fraudulent or socially irresponsible research undercuts the public’s trust in and support for science.

For more than a decade, the National Institutes of Health made training in RCR for students supported by training grants and individual fellowships a requirement. The National Science Foundation implemented a similar requirement, effective January 4, 2010, following Section 7009 of the “America Competes” Act. The USDA/NIFA was initially effective on their Research Terms and Conditions issued in February 2013. The NSF also refers to RCR as RECR (Response and Ethical Conduct of Research), however, the training program is the same.

All Northeastern University undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, including short-term visitors, paid by NSF research awards subject to the America COMPETES Act, and individuals receiving support through applicable NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, or dissertation research grant, must participate in instructional programs in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), which are consistent with the legal, regulatory, and ethical requirements established by regulatory agencies, funding sources, professional organizations, and the University’s Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research.

The CHIPS & Science Act enacted in 2022 expanded RCR requirements for NSF research awards. Consistent with the act, beginning in 2023, Northeastern’s RCR requirements expanded to include all senior personnel (whether paid or unpaid) and specify the RCR curriculum to include mentorship (2023), research security, and export controls (both to become mandatory in 2024). Faculty paid from or identified as senior personnel on NSF grants must complete NSF’s mandate curriculum. The university’s RCR policy will be updated to align with the new requirements.

Northeastern also uses several online training modules offered through CITI to meet various federally mandated training requirements as outlined in the policy and agency information on this page. CITI training is valid for a 3-year period. Principal Investigators, key personnel, and staff must renew their training certification before it expires by taking either a refresher course or retaking the full course. Additional details regarding which agencies accept CITI training and the Northeastern General CITI Program Training Site can be found further below on this Responsible Conduct of Research webpage.

Policy on Responsible Conduct of Research

Once you have completed your online training within CITI, your training records will be automatically downloaded so that Northeastern will know that you’ve completed this component of the requirement.

Individual researchers are in the best position to provide updates regarding their own field-specific training. Researchers should provide updates towards the completion of 7 RCR workshop hours to the Associate Director for Training and Learning to qualify for the Capstone workshop and receive a certificate of completion.

All students, faculty, and staff who complete any format of RCR training should keep a copy of their Certificate of Completion for their records. When RCR training is required by the grant, it is a best practice for the PI/college to maintain copies of the certificates for any students paid from applicable NIH, NSF, and USDA-NIFA grants.