Frequently Asked Questions

The acronym RCR stands for the Responsible Conduct of Research.

RCR includes most professional activities that are part and parcel of a research career and that are under increasing regulatory scrutiny. As defined by federal agencies, RCR encompasses the following nine areas: research misconduct, human participants, research involving animals, data acquisition, management, sharing, and ownership, mentor/trainee responsibilities, publication practices and responsible authorship, peer review, collaborative science, and conflicts of interests.

NSF requires documentation for awards made for proposals submitted after 1/4/2010

NIH for training related grants.
See : http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-019.html 

To comply with the Congressional mandate under the America COMPETES Act (applies to NSF awards), NIH policies for training grants and career development awards, and to demonstrate USA’s commitment to providing the highest quality education for all students and scholars. Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research is fundamental in the preparation of our future scientists and engineers.

The America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act of 2007 or America COMPETES Act was enacted to ensure our nation’s competitive position in the world through improvements in math and science education and to ensure a strong national commitment to research.

Because USA is committed to providing the highest quality education for all students and scholars and believes that instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research is essential for encouraging and producing the best scientists and researchers for the future. See Institutional Policy on RCR Training for Students (PDF).

The requirement is effective for awards made against proposals submitted on or after January 4, 2010.

There is no section in the standard NSF application for the PI to write or insert information about this training. By submitting the grant, the institution is certifying its intent to comply with this requirement. NOTE: A mentoring plan (Section 7008) is required if you request support for a postdoctoral fellow.

Yes, certification by each subcontractor is required.

USA’s Authorized Organizational Representative certifies that a plan is in place with each NSF proposal submission.

The Office of Sponsored Programs certifies that USA has implemented an RCR training plan by signing the grant applications that are submitted to NSF. The PI will be responsible for informing new hires of the requirements. The Office of Research Compliance and Assurance (ORCA) will have to access to data available from the approved RCR training options and NSF funded research personnel. ORCA will periodically review the data for compliance and notify PIs of non-compliance. ORCA will make this data available upon request from NSF or individual faculty member.

It is online at the Research Compliance and Assurance website https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/research/compliance/responsible-conduct/ This plan meets requirements of the NSP COMPETES Act Section 7009.

Yes.

Yes, they must complete the appropriate training curriculum as defined in the RCR Training for Students policy document.

The online CITI training certification is transferable for components that are shared among institutions. If additional training is required, which is dependent on level of education for students, other requirements specific to USA are not transferable.

Yes.

The USA RCR training plan is being tailored to meet the needs of the individuals and the career stage of those who participate in research. We believe a graduated, tiered approach is the best solution to meet these needs.

CITI stands for Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative and provides online training modules in RCR. https://www.citiprogram.org/.

No, the Postdoctoral Mentoring requirement is a separate initiative requiring the submission of a mentoring plan that is described in a supplemental document specific to each proposal submission. The plan is considered during the merit review process. Guidelines for addressing mentoring plans within grant applications are available on the Research Compliance and Assurance website.

No. Human Subject Protections require additional specific training for certification in the areas proscribed by federal regulatory requirements and institutional policies of the Institutional Review Boards.

No. Animal Welfare requires additional specific training for certification in this area as required by federal regulations and institutional policies of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

Online training needs to be completed within 90 days of hire. Interactive training for graduate students or postdoctoral researchers is required during the first year of conducting research.

At this time, USA has not defined a training expiration period.

https://www.citiprogram.org/ 

Yes, CITI provides a certificate upon completion. Additionally, the PI should expect to be contacted by the Office of Research Compliance to verify NSF funded students have completed the training.

The responsible Principal Investigator will be notified by the Office of Research Compliance and Assurance and a corrective action plan will be required.

The Principal Investigator/Supervisor is responsible for notification of training requirements.

The Office of Research Compliance and Assurance will follow up individually with Principal Investigators and individuals to monitor compliance and will implement necessary corrective actions.

Documentation of the online CITI training should be maintained by the student and the PI. If the activity is sponsored research, then documentation should be maintained for a minimum of three years. The Office of Research Compliance and Assurance will be responsible for monitoring compliance with the institutional plan. For NSF sponsored research activities, the Office of Grants Administration requires RCR training documentation as part of the close-out process.

Office of Research Compliance and Assurance
Dusty Layton, Director, dlayton@southalabama.edu