The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

All investigators should become familiar with the rules and guidelines for responsible conduct of research. Included are topics such as supervision of students and trainees, data gathering and retention, authorship, and publication. Adherence to the rules and guidelines will protect an investigator and his/her laboratory in the event there are questions of research integrity.

Guidelines and UNTHSC Plan for Responsible Conduct of Research The NIH has recently updated its policy on grant / award application requirements for instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research. RCR will now be a separate section  of the application , having its own page limits separate from the other combined components of the Research Plan. Applicants lacking a plan for instruction in RCR will be considered incomplete and may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed. This policy will take effet with all new and renewal applications submitted on or after January 25, 2010, and for all continuation (Type 5) applications with deadlines on or after January 1, 2011 for the following NIH 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.

The updated policy can be found at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-019.html

Additional Resources

1. NIH “Update on the Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research”

1. (a) NIH Update on the Requirements for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research dated 4/19/2011

2. NSF, “Responsible Conduct of Research Frequently Asked Questions” NSF FAQ 2010

3. NSF, Responsible Conduct of Research, “NSF’s Implementation of Section 7009 of the America COMPETES Act”

4. National Science Foundation, “Research Misconduct” 45 CFR 689

5. US DHHS, Office of Research Integrity

6. The National Academies Press, On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research, 3rd edition