RCR

Overview

The responsible conduct of research (RCR) encompasses all aspects of research with the goal of fostering integrity and deterring misconduct in research. It includes areas such as Research Misconduct, Data Acquisition, Management, Sharing and Ownership, Publication Practices and Responsible Authorship, Peer Review, Mentor and Trainee Responsibilities, Conflicts of Interest and Commitment, Collaborative Research, Human Subjects, and Animal Welfare.

As of January 2010, National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires that 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 must receive instruction in responsible conduct of research. Format: Substantial face-to-face discussions; a combination of didactic and small-group discussions. Online training is not sufficient. NIH requires at least eight contact hours every four years for RCR training.

National Science Foundation (NSF) has required UNC Asheville to describe in its grant proposals for science and engineering research or education a plan to provide appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers participating in the proposed project. “Oversight” means tracking and verification that the requirement has been met.

It is important to know that research integrity and the elements of the RCR apply to all research, scholarship and creative activities, whether funded or not. For all funded projects, UNC Asheville is required to document RCR training.

Training

The University of North Carolina at Asheville provides access to the CITI Course in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), which is designed to be used by institutions or organizations and it provides a comprehensive basic course in RCR. This course was partially funded by DHHS’s Office of Research Integrity. The Online CITI RCR Training Course covers the following core areas:

• Animal Subjects
• Collaborative Relationships
• Conflicts of Interest and Commitment
• Data Acquisition and Management
• Human Subjects
• Mentoring
• Peer Review
• Research Misconduct
• Responsible Authorship

 CITI Registration Instructions

1. Go to citiprogram.org.
2. As a “new” user, you will need to click “Register Here” to register.
3. Select “University of North Carolina at Asheville” from the Participating Institutions and click “submit”.
4. Create a unique username and password and click “submit”.
5. Enter your personal information (first name, last name, email) and click “submit”.
6. Continue entering additional information (gender, degree, etc) and click “submit”.
7. When prompted to select a curriculum, select the “Responsible Conduct of Research” course. (For other questions, select “Not at this time”.)
8. The Learner Menu will then display the course. Click “Enter” to begin. You do not have to finish all modules at one time; CITI saves your scores each time you submit answers so you can log out and resume later.

Other Requirements

The UNC Asheville’s Responsible Conduct of Research program relies on performance based standards to assess procedures and techniques as well as competence of personnel. Although important, successful completion of the web-based course may not be sufficient to maintain compliance with local RCR requirements. The University may impose additional requirements based on the nature of the research endeavors.

Resources