Supporting Integrity
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) ensures that research is objective and accurate. RCR includes authorship, data management, reproducible research, safety, conflicts of interest, collaborations, human subjects research, the use of animals in research, peer review, mentoring, and social responsibility.
Training in RCR is mandated by many funding agencies and should be an integral part of all programs. While the foundational principles for the responsible conduct of research are conserved, there are differences between disciplines. Additionally, funding agency mandates vary both by the people who must document training and also in the training that must be completed. Examples of mandates and options at UC follow, please note that this list is incomplete.
NIH mandates face-to-face interaction over an extended period. The College of Medicine mandates that all graduate students complete NIH compliant RCR training every 4 years. There are multiple courses at UC tailored to different audiences (e.g. bench versus clinical researchers) that meet the NIH requirement.
NSF mandates all trainees conducting NSF sponsored research complete training. Documentation of RCR training must be provided to UCORI. One mechanism is for the trainee to complete online training combined with documentation of additional in person training.
We are available to discuss what responsible conduct of research is informally, in seminars, or workshops.
If you need help identifying appropriate RCR training please contact us.