Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

On August 20, 2009, NSF announced the implementation of a requirement for training in RCR for all undergraduate and graduate students, and all post-doctoral researchers supported by NSF to conduct research. This requirement became effective with proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 4, 2010. Applicant institutions must certify that they have a training plan in place at the time of NSF proposal submission. 

On November 24, 2009, the NIH published an “Update on the Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research.”  This update applies to all NIH Institutional Research Training Grants, Individual Fellowship Awards, Career Development Awards (Institutional and Individual), Research Education Grants, Dissertation Research Grants, or other grant programs with a training component that requires instruction in RCR as noted in the Funding Opportunity Announcement.

In support of the NSF and NIH requirements, Detroit Mercy has identified a program – offered through CITI (The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative at the University of Miami) – to meet this RCR requirement.  Specifics are described below. While this new requirement only applies to NSF and NIH funded personnel as defined above, we extend and encourage this RCR training for all faculty, staff, students and researchers at Detroit Mercy with an interest in ethics education and the responsible conduct of research and scholarship.

The Detroit Mercy Plan for Fulfilling the RCR Requirement

The CITI Program course in the Responsible Conduct of Research is available to the Detroit Mercy research community free of charge. Discipline specific courses are available for biomedical, social & behavioral research, the physical sciences, humanities, engineers, and administrators.

The RCR topic areas include research misconduct; data management; conflict of interest; collaborative science; responsible authorship; mentoring; peer review; lab animals and human subjects. Please note that investigators who conduct research with human subjects are already required to complete the CITI Human Subjects curriculum.  The new requirement includes all NSF-funded research, regardless of the involvement of human subjects.

You can also find CITI training modules specifically on human subjects research and lab animal welfare. Each training section takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete, and each module does not need to be completed all at once.

Upon completion of the RCR course, you will receive a certificate of completion.

Training Required for Faculty Researchers

It is a principal investigator’s responsibility to inform undergraduate students, graduate students or postdoctoral fellows paid from NSF or NIH funds of the mandatory RCR training.

  1. Go to CITI Program: Visit the CITI Program website.
  2. Register as a New User:
    • Click on “New Users Register Here.”
    • On the “Select your institution or organization” page, choose “University of Detroit Mercy.”
  3. Create Your Account:
    • Proceed to create your own username and password.
    • Select the appropriate “Learner Group.”
  4. Complete the Preceding Steps:
    • Once you’ve finished the necessary steps, you’ll be logged in and officially registered for the course.
  5. Course Access Options:
    • Begin the Appropriate Course: You can start the relevant course right away.
    • Log Out and Return Later: If you prefer, you can log out and come back to continue the course at a different time.
  6. Logging In After Logout:
    • If you choose to log out, don’t worry! When you return to the CITI homepage, you won’t need to register again. Simply use the username and password you’ve already created.
  7. Course Completion:
    • After successfully completing the course, you’ll receive a certificate of completion.
If you have any questions, please contact:

Ann Serra, Director
Office of Sponsored Programs & Research Activities
University of Detroit Mercy
4001 W. McNichols Road
Detroit, MI  48220
Phone: 313-993-1469 
serraam@udmercy.edu

CITI Program Support
888.529.5929

9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EDT
Monday – Friday

support@citiprogram.org

Send a request to the CITI support team and they will respond as soon as possible.

UDM CITI Program Administrator,
Michele Favoretto
favoremi@udmercy.edu

Other Training Sources

image of woman sitting at laptop

Working with OSPRA from project concept through award has significantly increased my awareness and understanding of the processes and UDM policies.

OSPRA Workshops

OSPRA offers a series of workshops throughout the academic year. Browse the workshop schedule and register today.

NEW Faculty Members

OSPRA Workshops offer the perfect opportunity to lean more about the sponsored research activities at UDM and gain an understanding of the process and policies. Register today.