Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training at UC Merced
Faculty and staff who receive federal funding to conduct research or to supervise student researchers are responsible for ensuring all work is done in compliance with university and governmental policies. The UC Merced Office of Research will assist researchers in identifying and completing appropriate RCR training, instruction, and guidance.
Human Subjects
Research projects that use people as subjects must be reviewed by UC Merced’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). Information is available on our Human Subjects web page.
Animal Subjects
Research projects that use animals as subjects must be reviewed by UC Merced’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Information is available on our IACUC web page.
Federal Requirements
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Policy
Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research in National Research Service Award and Institutional Training Grants, NIH Guide, Volume 21, Number 43
The National Institutes of Health requires that all applicants for Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA) Research Training Grants (T32, T34) include explanation of an educational program in the responsible conduct of research. Applications that do not include a plan for RCR instruction are considered incomplete. The NIH suggests that the RCR instructional program include the following topics: conflict of interest, responsible authorship, policies for handling misconduct, policies regarding the use of human participants and animal subjects, and data management. The proposed plan must include the subject matter of the instruction, the format of the instruction, the degree of faculty participation, trainee attendance, and the frequency of instruction.
Public Health Service (PHS) Policy
In December of 2000, the Public Health Service issued a policy requiring all researchers supported by PHS funding to complete a program of instruction in the responsible conduct of research. Congress has suspended the policy and has asked the PHS to review the format and content of the policy. The Office for Research Integrity (ORI) is currently revising the policy and plans to re-release the policy in the future. The suspended policy required PHS supported researchers to engage in education on the following topics: data management and integrity, mentor/trainee responsibilities, publication practices and responsible authorship, peer review, collaborative science, human subjects, research involving animals, research misconduct, and conflict of interest and commitment. Research institutions nationwide are taking steps to implement RCR educational programs prior to the re-release of the policy.
National Science Foundation
In addition, he recently enacted America COMPETES (America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science) Act, will affect the National Science Foundation in several ways. Section 7009 requires that institutions receiving NSF grant funds in which undergraduate, graduate students, or postdocs are listed as research personnel must provide RCR training to those individuals. This section will of the America COMPETES act will be implement on January 4th, 2010. Please see the Federal Register announcement of the implementation of Section 7009 of America COMPETES Act.
UC Merced has contracted with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) to provide online training in RCR. These online courses are designed for faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students who have an interest or focus in the below content research areas and serve to satisfy federal regulations that require RCR training as a part of grant and contracts terms and conditions. The modules contain text and information about responsible conduct in research, case studies AND quizzes relating to the areas or RCR. PLEASE NOTE: These RCR courses are not to be completed in place of the basic courses you enrolled in under human subjects or lab animal welfare.
View the UC Merced instructions for using the CITI course
Go to the CITI homepage and register to get started
Copies of Training Certificates
Once the training module is completed, you may print a copy of your training certificates by logging into CITI (www.citiprogram.org), using your username and password, and clicking the "Print" link under the Completion Reports column in My Courses.
Select a Course - If you are unsure of which course to select, please contact Deborah Motton in the Office of Research at 209-383-8655, email to dmotton@ucmerced.edu.
The RCR courses available include:
Biomedical Responsible Conduct of Research Course: This course is for investigators, staff and students with an interest or focus in Biomedical research.
Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research Course: This course is for investigators, staff and students with an interest or focus in Social and Behavioral research.
Physical Science Responsible Conduct of Research Course: This course is for investigators, staff and students with an interest or focus in Physical Science research.
Humanities Responsible Conduct of Research Course: This course is for investigators, staff and students with an interest or focus in Humanities research.
Human Subjects
Research projects that use people as subjects must be reviewed by UC Merced’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). Information is available on our Human Subjects web page.
Animal Subjects
Research projects that use animals as subjects must be reviewed by UC Merced’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Information is available on our IACUC web page.
Federal Requirements
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Policy
Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research in National Research Service Award and Institutional Training Grants, NIH Guide, Volume 21, Number 43
The National Institutes of Health requires that all applicants for Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA) Research Training Grants (T32, T34) include explanation of an educational program in the responsible conduct of research. Applications that do not include a plan for RCR instruction are considered incomplete. The NIH suggests that the RCR instructional program include the following topics: conflict of interest, responsible authorship, policies for handling misconduct, policies regarding the use of human participants and animal subjects, and data management. The proposed plan must include the subject matter of the instruction, the format of the instruction, the degree of faculty participation, trainee attendance, and the frequency of instruction.
Public Health Service (PHS) Policy
In December of 2000, the Public Health Service issued a policy requiring all researchers supported by PHS funding to complete a program of instruction in the responsible conduct of research. Congress has suspended the policy and has asked the PHS to review the format and content of the policy. The Office for Research Integrity (ORI) is currently revising the policy and plans to re-release the policy in the future. The suspended policy required PHS supported researchers to engage in education on the following topics: data management and integrity, mentor/trainee responsibilities, publication practices and responsible authorship, peer review, collaborative science, human subjects, research involving animals, research misconduct, and conflict of interest and commitment. Research institutions nationwide are taking steps to implement RCR educational programs prior to the re-release of the policy.
National Science Foundation
In addition, he recently enacted America COMPETES (America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science) Act, will affect the National Science Foundation in several ways. Section 7009 requires that institutions receiving NSF grant funds in which undergraduate, graduate students, or postdocs are listed as research personnel must provide RCR training to those individuals. This section will of the America COMPETES act will be implement on January 4th, 2010. Please see the Federal Register announcement of the implementation of Section 7009 of America COMPETES Act.
UC Merced has contracted with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) to provide online training in RCR. These online courses are designed for faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students who have an interest or focus in the below content research areas and serve to satisfy federal regulations that require RCR training as a part of grant and contracts terms and conditions. The modules contain text and information about responsible conduct in research, case studies AND quizzes relating to the areas or RCR. PLEASE NOTE: These RCR courses are not to be completed in place of the basic courses you enrolled in under human subjects or lab animal welfare.
View the UC Merced instructions for using the CITI course
Go to the CITI homepage and register to get started
Copies of Training Certificates
Once the training module is completed, you may print a copy of your training certificates by logging into CITI (www.citiprogram.org), using your username and password, and clicking the "Print" link under the Completion Reports column in My Courses.
Select a Course - If you are unsure of which course to select, please contact Deborah Motton in the Office of Research at 209-383-8655, email to dmotton@ucmerced.edu.
The RCR courses available include:
Biomedical Responsible Conduct of Research Course: This course is for investigators, staff and students with an interest or focus in Biomedical research.
Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research Course: This course is for investigators, staff and students with an interest or focus in Social and Behavioral research.
Physical Science Responsible Conduct of Research Course: This course is for investigators, staff and students with an interest or focus in Physical Science research.
Humanities Responsible Conduct of Research Course: This course is for investigators, staff and students with an interest or focus in Humanities research.