Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is a broad term referring to integrity and ethical standards in the work of scientists, scholars, and professionals involved in the field of scientific inquiry and practice. Responsible and ethical conduct of research is critical for excellence, as well as public trust, in science and engineering.

Consequently, education in RCR is considered essential in the preparation of future scientists and engineers. URI is fully committed to educating its students, faculty and staff on the issues surrounding the responsible conduct of research, and their obligations as individuals and members of the larger research community.

Instruction areas of RCR education include:

• Acquisition, Management, Sharing and Ownership of Data
• Animal Welfare
• Authorship/Plagiarism
• Collaboration
• Conflict of Interest
• Human Subject Protections
• Mentoring
• Peer Review
• Research Misconduct

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Education Requirements and Methods

The RCR education program is somewhat flexible, allowing most covered individuals multiple options for completing the required education:

• Completion of an approved research ethics course: Courses that are currently approved to complete this requirement are: BIO 500/BES 500, BES 510, CHM 500, CHE 570, MAF502, NEU 504, NUR649, PHC 530, PHC 693 and ENG 510/511.
• Attendance and participation in 3 or more sessions of the RCR Seminar Series: Please see the list of seminar offerings on the Seminar tab.
• Completion of the online RCR course via CITI: Several discipline-specific RCR courses are available via the CITI online training system. Completion of any of the RCR courses is acceptable. For more information on how to navigate the CITI website, please refer to the URI CITI Guidance.

Individuals receiving support from NSF and NIH have more strict requirements:

• NSF supported faculty, staff, and students must complete both the online CITI RCR course and the online CITI Intro to Export Controls for RCR course.
• NIH training and development grant supported faculty, staff, and students must complete 8 hours of general and discipline-specific RCR training that involves discussion and interaction with faculty. ORI will work with the department to develop appropriate content.

Acceptable courses for each training group

	Approved Ethics Course	RCR Seminar Series (3+ sessions)	CITI RCR	CITI RCR + Export Controls	NIH RCR course
Graduate Students	X	X	X	X	X
USDA NIFA	X	X	X	X	X
NSF				X
NIH					X

Completion of RCR education is required before covered graduate students submit their dissertation / thesis proposal form to the Graduate School for approval. Faculty, staff, and students supported by NSF, USDA NIFA, and NIH training and development grants must complete RCR education within 90 days of receipt of the grant’s notice of award.