Responsible Conduct of Research Course

Integrity in scholarship and research is one of the University’s fundamental values. Harvard is committed to fostering a robust research environment, in part through Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training and education.

“[R]esponsible conduct of research is defined as the practice of scientific investigation with integrity. It involves the awareness and application of established professional norms and ethical principles in the performance of all activities related to scientific research.” (National Institutes of Health, NOT-OD-10-019)

 

Projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) have specific requirements regarding training in RCR. Please confer with your research administration team for specific details and requirements of your award with regard to RCR requirements.

 

NIH and NSF-Specific Responsible Conduct of Research Instruction Requirements

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) require Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. There are many RCR courses that satisfy the training requirements for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs.

NIH requires* that all trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, or dissertation research grant must receive instruction in responsible conduct of research. This must include substantial face-to-face discussions among the participating trainees/fellows/scholars/participants; a combination of didactic and small-group discussions (e.g. case studies); and participation of research training faculty members in instruction in responsible conduct of research is highly encouraged. While on-line courses can be a valuable supplement to instruction in responsible conduct of research, online instruction is not considered adequate as the sole means of instruction for NIH awards.

For more information, see the NIH Update on the Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research.

NSF requires each institution that submits proposals for science and engineering research or education to have a plan in place to provide appropriate training and oversight to all undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers who will participate in the proposed research project.

For more information, please see the NSF RCR web page.

*All those receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, and dissertation research grant, must complete RCR training. This applies to the following programs: D43, D71, F05, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F37, F38, K01, K02, K05, K07, K08, K12, K18, K22, K23, K24, K25, K26, K30, K99/R00, KL1, KL2, R25, R36, T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T90/R90, TL1, TU2, and U2R. This policy also applies to any other NIH-funded programs supporting research training, career development, or research education that require instruction in responsible conduct of research as stated in the relevant funding opportunity announcements.

Please see the official NIH policy for details.

Please contact Stacey Springs, FAS Director of Research Integrity, for more information about RCR offerings.

 

Faculty of Arts and Science RCR Template Language for Grant Proposals Narratives

For grant proposals that require a description of RCR training (see below), FAS Research Administration Services has prepared a template with suggested language regarding RCR training. Further questions may be directed to your departmental grant manager, and/or Stacey Springs, Research Integrity Officer.

Note that certain training grants and fellowship awards require ongoing professional development throughout the term of award. Attending the Responsible Conduct of Research course may be necessary, but not sufficient for this section of your award application.

NSF applications do not require a description of the RCR training to be included in grant applications. The institution must certify at the time of proposal submission that it has a plan to offer appropriate training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research.