Responsible Conduct of Research

Overview

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is central to Emory University's mission and is an expectation of the research community. The Office of Research Integrity and Compliance (ORIC) is involved in RCR in many ways, including investigations into allegations of research misconduct and acting as a resource to the Emory research community. In collaboration with the Laney Graduate School, Emory College, the School of Medicine, Center for Ethics and Training Grant Support Office, and the Post-doctoral Education Office, we have put togehter online training opportunities, including Ethical Training for the Humanities. The Post-doctoral Education Office also offers in-person training. See below for more information.

Emory Policy 7.9 on the Responsible Conduct of Research training emphasizes the requirements for awardees. The policy also details Emory's expectations that the Emory research workforce should complete RCR training when required. Emory offers training for all the workforce- See Training Opportunities below.

National Institutes of Health (NIH), the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have training requirements regarding Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). See below for information on their specific requirements.

NIFA requirements

Following sections 2, 3, and 8 of 2 CFR Part 422, awardees of USDA-funded extramural research must have adequate RCR training. The training should ", at a minimum, emphasize three key areas of research ethics: authorship and plagiarism, data and research integration, and reporting misconduct."

The Emore RCR Online training in ELMS or the CITI RCR modules will meet this requirement. 

Reference:

NSF requirements

All Emory University faculty, senior personnel, undergraduate, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers receiving NSF funds (salary/stipends) or NSF scholarship/stipend support to engage in research or if conducting research is included in their academic program that is receiving NSF support are required to take the RCR training if the NSF grant proposal was submitted on or after January 4, 2010, are required to take RCR training. Faculty and senior personnel were added to the list of required trainees with the approval of the CHIPS act (at §10337, p. 503) signed into law on August 9, 2022, that goes into effect for proposals submitted on or after July 31, 2023.

Please be advised that all Faculty, Key Personnel, Postdocs, and Students (graduate and undergraduate) associated with NSF grants must document their completion of RCR training in ELMS. The following main components of training are required:

  • Mentor Training and Mentorship
  • Training to Raise Awareness of potential security threats
  • Federal Export Controls, disclosure, and reporting requirements

The NSF is developing content for the training on security threats and federal exports, so, in the meantime, the Emory Online RCR training and the CITI RCR modules will meet the above-referenced requirement. 

 References:

NIH requirements

The NIH RCR policy applies to all new and renewal applications submitted on or after January 25, 2010, and all continuation applications with deadlines on or after January 1, 2011. In addition, the NIH released updated training requirements with September 25, 2022, as the due date.

Below, see important information about the training:

  • Who is required to take RCR training? "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 of Instruction: the NIH expects that the training is discussion-based and allows for the use of video conferencing as long as the training remains engaging, but "video conferencing should not be the sole means for meeting the requirement for RCR instruction, and a plan that employs only video conferencing will not be considered acceptable, except in the circumstances described in NOT-OD-10-019, such as short-term research training and research education programs."
  • Frequency and timing: "at least once during each career stage and at a frequency of no less than once every four years." The NIH expects training that allows for substantive contact hours. They added that "acceptable programs generally involve at least eight contact hours."

Principal Investigators of NIH grants that fall under this requirement must keep records indicating completion of this requirement. Completion of RCR training can be documented in the Emory Learning Management System. In this system, personnel associated with NIH grants are strongly encouraged to document their training completion. 

References:

For questions about your training requirements, contact us at oric@emory.edu.

Please, review this document with a comprehensive list of resources related to RCR resources.

There are several different resources/options available at Emory to complete the Responsible Conduct of Research training requirements of the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, including but not limited to programs offered by the Laney Graduate School and the School of Medicine Office of Postdoctoral Education. See below for more information on these options.

In collaboration with your school, the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance offers in-person and online options for those who need to complete their training. Online training alone is insufficient to satisfy NIH RCR training requirements. We strongly recommend that those who need assistance completing their RCR training review the training requirements.

For additional information on the training opportunities offered by our institution, see below.

In addition, register for external training in Brainer. Faculty, Postdocs, and students (graduate and undergraduate) associated with NSF grants must document their completion of RCR training in ELMS. Personnel associated with NIH grants are strongly encouraged to do so as well. For more information, go to External RCR Training Documentation.

Emory Online Training

Emory University offers online training covering all Responsible Conduct of Research topics. The training will cover the requirements for NSF and NIFA awardees (NIH awardees also need in-person training). To access this training in the learning management system:

Go to "Learning Management-Brainier" and select "Learning Management-Brainier." Follow these steps:

  • Under "All Learning," click on "Browse by Title" and search for "Responsible Conduct of Research Training Online." 
    • We have a specific course for students entitled "Responsible Conduct of Research Training for Students." 
  • Complete the pre-test and take the training. The training should take 60 minutes. 
  • After the training, complete the posttest and attestations to receive the certificate.

Note: NSF will require additional modules at the end of the year. Please, stay tuned for more information about where to obtain that training.

CITI Training

Emory offers CITI modules as a resource for those interested in obtaining training/instruction on the Responsible Conduct of Research. As explained, the training will cover NSF and NIFA but will not cover NIH in-person training requirements.

Directions on how to access the CITI modules are below.

  • Log in to CITI

  • If you have not previously added a Responsible Conduct of Research course, click "Add a course."

  • On question 1, click "None of the activities listed above apply to me." You can choose a Responsible Conduct of Research Course if you need to take one." If you need to take other training, you can select other options; know that the RCR courses will be selected under Question 10.

  • Under question 10,  choose one of the selections that best fits your area of concentration:

    • Animal Research Track
    • Human Subject Research Track
    • All Other Research Track

  • Then click "Next." You will be back at the menu. To start the course you selected, click on "Start Now."

If you have any questions, please get in touch with oric@emory.edu.

Early career researchers, postdocs, and fellows

The SOM offers training in person that satisfies the NIH requirements. Stay tuned for more information about future offerings.

You must take all the sessions to receive credit. The classes will take place from 2:30 to 5 pm at the Hatchery. The Hatchery validates parking for up to three hours, so the parking for these sessions will be covered.

Registration is now open in Brainy. For instructions about how to register, please see this document.

Graduate Students

Laney Graduate School also provided training for graduate students with the Jones Program for Ethics. In-person training should be part of the Principal Investigator plan presented to the NIH at the time of grant submission. The plan should touch on the topics detailed in NOT-OD-22-055.


Other Opportunities

Schools, Departments, and Investigators may contact us to schedule in-person training sessions on preventing Research Misconduct, including a presentation and Question & Answer period. The sessions provide exposure to issues arising in research settings and relate to topics per NIH and NSF requirements.

Emory University offers online training covering important topics on the ethical conduction of research in humanities fields. To access this training in the learning management system:

Go to "Learning Management-Brainier" and select "Learning Management-Brainier." Follow these steps:

  • Under "All Learning," click on "Browse by Title" and search for “Training in the Ethical Conduct of Research for Humanities”.
  • The training should take 60 minutes.
  • After the training, complete the survey and attestation to receive a certificate. 

To assist you with your documentation requirements, we keep a list of individuals to document their RCR training in one central location via the Brainier Learning System. The following personnel are required to document their completion of external RCR training:

  • Faculty (including other senior personnel), Postdocs, and students (graduate and undergraduate) associated with NSF grants

  • Program directors, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and any staff participating in a qualified USDA NIFA research project

  • Personnel associated with NIH grants are strongly encouraged to do so as well.

To document your completion of RCR training in Brainier, go to "Learning Management-Brainier" and select "Learning Management-Brainier." Follow these steps:

  • Under "All Learning," click on "Browse by Title" and search for "External Responsible Conduct of Research Training Documentation."  
  • Attach all your external training per category, and provide the training topics you have received and the certificate of completion.

If you have any questions about this process, please get in touch with us at oric@emory.edu.

Scientific rigor, transparency, and reproducibility are integral to the responsible conduct of research. Research sponsors expect researchers to conduct research that promotes scientific integrity, enhances confidence and reliability, and improves research rigor and transparency. Outlined below are the expectations the NIH and NSF set forth about rigor and reproducibility in research, data sharing policies for each of the agencies, and guidelines and resources for achieving best practices in scientific research.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The NIH has updated grant application instructions and review language to promote rigor, transparency, and reproducibility in NIH-funded research, focusing on the following four areas:

National Science Foundation (NSF)

The NSF has set forth a framework to improve reproducibility, replicability, and robustness in NSF-funded research, intending to improve the quality of question formulation, data collection and analysis, and dissemination of studies yielding negative results.

Rigor and Reproducibility Resources

Below are additional resources and guidance for enhancing rigor and reproducibility in research:

PAST PRESENTATIONS

Please note that these presentations do not replace the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirements. For more information about the RCR requirements, go here.

RESOURCES