Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) promotes the aims of scientific inquiry, fosters a research environment that enables scientists to work together toward common goals, and promotes public confidence in scientific knowledge and progress for the public good. However, there are several detrimental effects of research not conducted ethically and responsibly.
Different federal agencies have varying policies regarding their requirements for RCR training. Please see below a summary for some of these agencies:
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
All NIH intramural researchers who have direct and substantive involvement in research, either in proposing, performing, reviewing, or reporting, are required to participate in some ongoing RCR instruction. For a complete list of personnel subject to RCR training and research activities, please see NIH policy on Responsible Conduct of Research Training.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
NSF requires RCR training for all new proposals. The requirement applies to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers supported by NSF awards. The training needs to be completed every 4 years. Please see NSF policy on Responsible of Research and their frequently asked questions regarding RCR.
United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) – National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
USDA requires that any institution completing research funded by the USDA fosters an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and effectively communicate and train their staff regarding policies and procedures. The institution affirms, as part of the acceptance of the award, compliance with this policy. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) updated their RCR requirements effective June 30, 2017.