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Responsible Conduct of Research Training

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training

High ethical standards are expected of all members of the University of Dayton (UD) community who engage in scholarly activities, regardless of position or discipline. As an institution of higher learning, instilling a strong understanding of responsible research practices is especially important for our undergraduate and graduate students, as well as our post-doctoral researchers.  Due to federal regulations and University policies and guidelines, some individuals are required to participate in specific training with regard to the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). Those individuals include (1) all undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and other senior personnel who will be supported in whole or in part by National Science Foundation (NSF) funds; (2) All graduate student assistants (GAs) with GA contracts sponsored in whole or in part by external sources (e.g., research contracts, federal grants, etc.); (3) Graduate Student Summer Fellowship (GSSF) awardees; (4) Dissertation Year Fellowship (DYF) awardees; and (5) All Biology graduate students (only specific portions in conjunction with BIO-554).

NSF RCR Training Requirements (Updated Requirements Effective July 31, 2023)

Effective July 31, 2023, the NSF requires any undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and other senior personnel who will be supported by NSF funds to complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. These expanded requirements apply to new proposals submitted or due on or after July 31, 2023.

Completion of the online “RCR-Basic Course” through CITI described in Element 3 below fulfills this training requirement. (Note: There may be additional RCR requirements associated with Graduate Assistant contracts or specific academic programs.)

CITI Training must be completed within 30 days after proposal submission. PIs are responsible for communicating these RCR training requirements to anyone joining the NSF-funded project. The training must be completed before any personnel can charge to the NSF-funded project.

RCR Training Program:

The RCR training program described here meets the National Science Foundation Education Requirements for the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR Plan), approved by the University of Dayton Office for Research. This plan reflects our corporate vision that all members of our academic community will be properly qualified to address ethical challenges that may arise when conducting scholarly research. Through active engagement in the full range of RCR training program elements described below, participants will fully satisfy the expectations of all four elements of the University of Dayton RCR Plan.

The University of Dayton RCR Training Program will include the following four elements which may be completed in any order.

(1)     Introduction to RCR Presentation: An introduction to RCR principles will take place during the new graduate student orientation program(s).

(2)     RCR Policy Manual Review and Signoff: All individuals required to complete the RCR training program must read the Responsible Conduct of Research Policy Manual (RCR Manual), published by the UD Office for Research and available in PDF form via the Graduate School tab in Porches. After studying the RCR Manual, trainees will be required to discuss what they have learned, and the implications for their own research, with their research advisor and/or Principle Investigator.

(3)    CITI On-line RCR Training Course: The University of Dayton subscribes to the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI), a subscription service providing on-line research ethics education to members of the research community. RCR trainees will be required to complete the CITI RCR course.  Typically it will take new RCR trainees 3-6 hours to complete this requirement, though trainees are not required to complete the course in one sitting. Ideally CITI training should be completed prior to matriculation for new incoming graduate students.

To begin an online CITI RCR course, trainees must go to https://www.citiprogram.org, and use the “Log in through my Institution” option, selecting the LOG IN VIA SSO button. On the next screen the trainee should choose the University of Dayton, after which they will select the RCR course. 

(4)    RCR Live Training Workshop Series: RCR trainees will be required to participate in a series of live training workshops (total of approximately 6 hours). These workshops will be offered at least once per year, typically following new graduate student orientation. These workshops involve interactive presentations and case studies with professionals from across campus.

If you require assistance in completing any component of the training, please contact Brad Duncan, Executive Director, Graduate Academic Affairs at (937) 229-2390 or bduncan1@udayton.edu.

For compliance questions, please contact the Office for Research at (937) 229-5527, or kelli.tittle@udri.udayton.edu

Thank you for your cooperation with this important initiative.

Additional information on RCR Training Policies and Resources can be found on the Graduate Academic Affairs Porches webpage. 

CONTACT

Office for Research

Daniel J. Curran Place
1700 Patterson Blvd
Dayton, Ohio 45469 - 7758
937-229-3515
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