Topics Map > Research Policy and Compliance > Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
NIH Training Topics
This page provides the NIH RCR Training policy, information about required subject matter for NIH RCR, and the OVCRGE NIH RCR approved course list.
The NIH recommends the topics below for comprehensive research ethics training.
- Conflict of Interest- personal, professional, financial, and conflict of commitment, in allocating time, effort, or other research resources
- Policies regarding human subjects; live vertebrate animal subjects in research and safe laboratory practices
- Mentor/ mentee responsibilities and relationships
- Safe research environments (free from harassment)
- Collaborative research including collaborations with industry and investigators and institutions in other countries
- Peer review, including the responsibility for maintaining confidentiality and security in peer review.
- Data acquisition and analysis; laboratory tools; recordkeeping practices, including methods such as electronic laboratory notebooks
- Secure and ethical data use; data confidentiality, management, sharing, and ownership
- Research misconduct and policies for handling misconduct
- Responsible authorship and publication
- The scientist as a responsible member of society, contemporary ethical Issues in biomedical research, and the environmental and societal impacts of scientific research
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OVCRGE NIH RCR Approved Course List
Below is a list of research ethics courses that cover all components of the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) as required by the National Institutes of Health. The NIH RCR Notice is available here. Courses approved include: Biomeolecular Chemistry 675; Medical Physics 701; Oncology 715; Biochemistry 729; Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 755; Pharmacy 800; Microbiology 811; Surgical Sciences 938; OBGYN 955; OBGYN 956
Please note: NIH updated the Notice for the 2022-2023 academic year, which includes new curricular areas.
Biomolecular Chemistry 701: Responsible Conduct in Bioscience Research
School/College: School of Medicine and Public Health
Department: (758) Biomolecular Chemistry
Course: (701) Responsible Conduct in Bioscience Research
Instructor: Christina Hull
Credit(s): 2 credits
Typically Offered: Fall
Description: Introductory training in the practical aspects of being a graduate-level bioscientist and the professional standards and expectations of ethical researchers.
Postdoc eligibility: This course is not suitable for postdoctoral researchers.
Medical Physics 701: Ethics and the responsible conduct of research and practice of Medical Physics
School/College: School of Medicine and Public Health
Department: (621) Medical Physics
Course: (701) Ethics and the responsible conduct of research and practice of Medical Physics
Instructor: Marina Emborg
Credit(s): 1 credit
Typically Offered: Fall
Description: This course will introduce the concepts of ethics in the daily practice of medical physics and other scientific disciplines and provide tools for identifying resources. Special emphasis will be placed in how these principles have to be applied to ensure the confidentiality of the patients, the safety of the research subjects (human and animals), differentiation between ethical and legal issues, as well as the understanding of the principles that deal with authorship, intellectual property in the academic and industry based environment. This will be a 1 credit course. It will consist of 8 weekly meetings (2 hrs. each session = 16 hs + readings and homework)
Postdoc eligibility: Postdocs may be guest auditors but must do all homework. Please contact Carol Aspinwall in Medical Physics.
Oncology 715: Responsible Conduct in Biological and Medical Sciences Research
School/College: School of Medicine and Public Health
Department: (700) Medical Physics
Course: (715) Responsible Conduct in Biological and Medical Sciences Research
Instructor: Janet Mertz and Shigeki Miyamoto
Credit(s): 1 credit
Typically Offered: Spring
Description: The objective of this course is to teach graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and medical residents about ethical issues in biological and medical sciences research and how to go about trying to resolve them when the occur. This course is organized around assigned readings/activities and short lectures followed by small group, roundtable discussions of case studies in which we consider contemporary ethical issues in biomedical research commonly faced by researchers. All of the topics required by the NIH for Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) are covered in an integrated manner during the seven 2-hour-long class sessions.
Postdoc eligibility: Postdocs may be guest auditors.
Biochemistry 729: Responsible Conduct of Research (Fall)
School/College: College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Department: (200) Biochemistry
Course: (729) Advanced topics (008), Responsible Conduct of Research
Instructor: David Schwartz
Credit(s): 1 credit
Typically Offered: Fall
Description: Study of current topics in the responsible conduct of research
Postdoc eligibility: Postdocs may be guest auditors.
Biochemistry 729: Responsible Conduct of Research (Spring)
School/College: College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Department: (200) Biochemistry
Course: (729) Advanced topics (008), Responsible Conduct of Research
Instructor: Brian Fox
Credit(s): 1 credit
Typically Offered: Spring
Description: Study of current topics in the responsible conduct of research
Postdoc eligibility: Postdocs may be guest auditors.
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 755: Responsible Conduct in Research: Research Ethics, Rigor, Reproducibility, and Transparency
School/College: School of Medicine and Public Health
Department: (704) Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Course: (755) Responsible Conduct in Research: Research Ethics, Rigor, Reproducibility, and Transparency
Instructor: Tyler Ulland
Credit(s): 2 credits
Typically Offered: Fall
Description: Provides instruction in principles and concepts of responsible conduct in research.
Postdoc eligibility: Postdocs may take the course
Pharmacy 800: Research Ethics: Scientific Integrity and the Responsible Conduct of Research
School/College: Pharmacy
Department: Pharmacy
Course: (800) Research Ethics: Scientific Integrity and the Responsible Conduct of Research, section 002
Instructor: Lara Collier
Section: LEC 002
Credit(s): 2 credits
Typically Offered: Fall
Description: Familiarizes graduate students with basic ethics associated with biomedical science research, taught via a case study approach. Content structured to meet NIH and NSF requirements for Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training.
Postdoc eligibility: Postdocs must register for credit.
Microbiology 811: Advanced Problems in Microbiology
School/College: College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Department: (192) Microbiology
Course: (811) Advanced Problems in Microbiology
Instructor: Mark Mandel
Credit(s): 1 credit
Typically Offered: Spring
Description: This course explores the diversity of scientific topics comprising the field of contemporary microbiology.
Postdoc eligibility: Postdocs are not eligible to enroll.
Surgical Sciences 812: Research Ethics and Career Development
School/College: School of Veterinary Medicine
Department: (938) Surgical Sciences
Course: (812) Research Ethics and Career Development
Instructor: Lisa Arendt and Kristen Bernard
Credit(s): 2 credits
Typically Offered: Fall
Description: This course provides instruction in the principles and concepts of research ethics through presentations and discussion of case studies. Topics pertinent to development of a successful career in research are also included.
Postdoc eligibility: Post docs may guest audit.
OBGYN 955: Responsible Conduct of Research for Biomedical Students
School/College: School of Medicine and Public Health
Department: (436) Obstetrics and Gynecology
Course: (955) Responsible Conduct of Research for Biomedical Students
Instructor: Ian Bird
Credit(s): 2 credits
Typically Offered: Fall
Description: Meets the NIH Instructional Training Grant requirement of instruction in the nine recommended areas of conflict of interest- personal, professional, and financial; policies regarding human subjects, live vertebrate animal subjects in research, and safe laboratory practices; mentor/mentee responsibilities and relationships; collaborative research including collaborations with industry; peer review; data acquisition, and laboratory tools; management, sharing and ownership; research misconduct and policies for handling misconduct; responsible authorship and publication; scientist as a responsible member of society, contemporary ethical issues in biomedical research, and the environmental and societal impacts of scientific research for MS and PhD graduate students in Biomedical Sciences. The importance and practices to enhance rigor and reproducibility are addressed in several of the lectures. Weekly lectures will be followed by small group discussion of reading assignments of case studies. Invited guest speakers and faculty will be the primary source of instruction for the first hour of the course.
Postdoc eligibility: Not suitable for posdocs.
OBGYN 956: Advanced Responsible Conduct of Research for Biomedical Graduate Students
School/College: School of Medicine and Public Health
Department: (436) Obstetrics and Gynecology
Course: (956) Advanced Responsible Conduct of Research for Biomedical Graduate Students
Instructor: Ian Bird
Credit(s): 1 credit
Typically Offered: Spring
Description: Follows course OBGYN 955 to meet NIH Institutional Training Grant requirements for *repeat/further instruction* in the nine recommended areas of conflict of interest- personal, professional, and financial; policies regarding human subjects, live vertebrate animal subjects in research, and safe laboratory practices; mentor/mentee responsibilities and relationships; collaborative research including collaborations with industry; peer review; data acquisition, and laboratory tools; management, sharing and ownership; research misconduct and policies for handling misconduct; responsible authorship and publication; scientist as a responsible member of society, contemporary ethical issues in biomedical research, and the environmental and societal impacts of scientific research for MS and PhD graduate students in Biomedical Sciences. The importance and practices to enhance rigor and reproducibility are addressed in several of the lectures. OBGYN 955 provides first year biomedical graduate students with an introductory overview of these topics. OBGYN 956 is designed to provide advanced consideration of these topics to our more experienced students, and to show how these responsible conduct and ethical considerations underlie corresponding grant- and career- related documentation. the course format typically includes lectures by invited guest speakers, and faculty, followed by small group discussion of reading assignments and case studies.
Prerequisites: OBGYN 955, Pharmacy 800, Nursing 802, Surgical Sciences 812, or Microbiology 901.
Postdoc eligibility: Suitable for postdocs. Contact the course director to confirm suitability and space availability.