The National Institutes of Health responsible conduct of research training requirement (NOT-OD-10-019) applies to trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, and dissertation research grant (applies to the following 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, U2R, and 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).
NIH stipulates that acceptable programs involve (1) at least eight contact hours, and (2) an in-person component (online programs as the sole means of instruction are not acceptable). All RCR training plans must include the following five instructional components: format, subject matter, faculty participation, duration of instruction, and frequency of instruction. The plan must discuss both formal and informal RCR instruction. Training must be undertaken at least once during each career stage, and at a frequency of no less than once every four years. Initial instruction during predoctoral training should occur as early as possible in graduate school. Individuals at the early career investigator level (including mentored K awardees and K12 scholars) must receive instruction in responsible conduct of research at least once during this career stage. Senior fellows and career award recipients (including F33, K02, K05, and K24 awardees) may fulfill the requirement for instruction in responsible conduct of research by participating as lecturers and discussion leaders. For more information, click on the NIH RCR Training Requirement link below.
NIH Research Integrity Website
The University of New Hampshire (UNH) has developed the following resources that applicants can use to develop the RCR training plan for their grant proposal:
Web-based RCR instructional modules
GRAD 930: Ethics in Research and Scholarship
Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarly Activity Library Guide
For questions about this requirement or for more information about resources available to develop RCR training plans for NIH grant proposals, please contact Julie Simpson, (603) 862-2003, in Research Integrity Services.
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