Responsible Conduct of Research

What is the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement?

RCR can be broadly defined as "the practice of scientific investigation with integrity" National Institutes of Health, 2009. RCR involves a commitment to personal responsibility in upholding established professional norms and ethical principles throughout the research process. Requirements for training in RCR have been issued by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The curriculum covers an overview of the following topics:

• conflicts of interest
• policies regarding human subjects, live vertebrate animal subjects, and safe laboratory practices
• mentor/mentee relationships
• collaborative research
• data acquisition, management, and sharing
• research misconduct
• responsible authorship
• scientists as a responsible member of society

Who is required to have RCR training?

NSF requires RCR training for all undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and principal investigators supported by NSF awards. NIH requires RCR training for NIH applicants and recipients. RCR training is available via CITI Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative. This training has been certified by PSU to meet the NSF and NIH training requirements.

For further information on RCR training requirements, please review these policies:

NIH RCR Training Policy

NSF RCR Training Policy FAQ

NSF Certification of RCR Training Policy

NSF RCR Training Policy

How do I satisfy the RCR requirement?

• PSU students, faculty, staff, and students working on NSF and NIH funded projects must take the CITI training. This learner group can find the CITI website's training under the Responsible Conduct of Research training curriculum.
• The minimum passing score is 80%. This is based on the entire course, not on individual modules within the course. You can improve your score by repeating a module and quiz. When your Grade Book gives you an option to print a "Completion Report," it means you passed the course.
• Researchers not affiliated with PSU must also have CITI training. Anyone can create an account with CITI and affiliate with PSU. PSU may accept documentation of human RCR training completion in accordance with the researchers' home institutions' policy.
• The principal investigator's responsibility is to ensure every person on their research team is listed on the protocol and has current RCR training certification.
• Principal Investigators are responsible for maintaining these training records for all individuals requiring this training to remain in compliance with NSF funding requirements. Some NIH grants have additional face to face training requirements; please review the NIH RCR policy for further information.

Access the training at www.citiprogram.org

1. Click on Register in the top right of the page
2. If you have a PSU ODIN ID:
   1. Navigate to the Log In Through My Institution option in the top middle of the page
   2. Select Portland State University
   3. Login to CITI using your ODIN ID and password
3. If you do NOT have an ODIN ID (e.g., are external to PSU, etc.):
   1. Navigate to Register in the top right of the page
      1. Select PSU from the Participating Institutions drop-down menu
      2. Create a username and password
4. After you are registered, pick the RCR learner group (QUESTION #6)