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- General Program Information
- National Institutes of Health RCR Certificate
- National Science Foundation RCR Certificate
- National Institute of Food and Agriculture RCR Certificate
- Undergraduate RCR Certificate
The University of Arizona offers certificates to acknowledge fulfillment of responsible conduct of research (RCR) training requirements set forth by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Details regarding each certificate can be found below.
General Program Information
Program Registration and Workshop Enrollment
- Please follow instructions below to register for the certificate program you wish to complete. All records of RCR training are centrally maintained by Research Training Services within EDGE Learning.
Certificate Completion and Renewal Timeframe
- Regardless of funding agency, the RCR certificate program must be initiated within 30 days of the Postaward date or the date that you begin working on an eligible research project.
- Once you register for the program, you have one calendar year to complete the certification.
- The RCR certificate is good for three (3) years, at which point you have one calendar year to renew the certificate. Renewal is only required if you still fall under the federal RCR requirements.
Tracking and Verification of Training
- Principal Investigators are responsible for ensuring that all students and postdoctoral researchers associated with an RCR-eligible award complete the RCR certificate as described below.
- Individuals should keep documentation of the training they receive, including all workshops and face-to-face discussions with faculty mentors.
- A centralized record of completed training will be kept in EDGE Learning.
RCR Workshop Attendance Policy
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To receive credit for completing an RCR workshop, you must arrive on time and be present for the full duration of the workshop.
National Institutes of Health RCR Certificate
The NIH RCR Certificate is issued by the University of Arizona's Research, Innovation & Impact and acknowledges completion of the minimum number of training hours and RCR subject areas recommended by NIH.
Who is Required to Complete the NIH Certificate?
NIH requires all trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars supported by NIH training grants, career development awards, and dissertation research grants to receive instruction in the responsible conduct of research. The requirement 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, and U2R. Other NIH-funded programs may also require instruction in responsible conduct of research, and will clearly state this requirement in the relevant funding opportunity announcements. View the complete NIH RCR policy for more details.
Completing the NIH Certificate, Option 1: Workshop Curriculum
- Either attend the Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research workshop OR complete the online CITI RCR Training.
- Select and attend at least five (5) Elective workshops from the RCR workshop series.
- Complete all requirements within one calendar year (365 days), then register in the NIH RCR Certification through EDGE Learning.
Completing the NIH Certificate, Option 2: Course for Academic Credit
If you enroll in a course for academic credit that devotes sufficient class time to RCR topics, you can earn the NIH RCR Certificate simply by attending class and completing the course with a passing grade. Generally, the faculty instructor of qualifying courses will already be in touch with the Responsible Conduct of Research Program to ensure that you get credit at the end of the semester, but if you're unsure, please contact the RCR Program directly at Research-Training@email.arizona.edu.
- Academic Courses that Receive RCR Credit: SLHS 649 - Survival Skills and Ethics | Chem 595B - Professional Development | CMM/MCB 695E - Science, Society and Ethics | CBIO 595B - Scientific Writing, Presentation, and Bioethics
Contact Hours Required
The University of Arizona requires a minimum of nine (9) hours of RCR instruction to complete; however, more hours are encouraged.
Instructional Format
NIH and the University of Arizona require NIH-funded scholars, trainees, and fellows to participate in RCR education that is instructor-led and involves face-to-face discussion. The only exception to this is the core requirement of the workshop curriculum, which may be completed online.
National Science Foundation RCR Certificate
The NSF RCR Certificate is issued by the University of Arizona's Research, Innovation & Impact and acknowledges completion of the RCR education guidelines set forth by NSF.
Who is Required to Complete the NSF Certificate?
NSF requires all postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students funded through an NSF grant to receive instruction in the responsible conduct of research. View the complete NSF RCR policy for more details.
Completing the NSF Certificate, Option 1: Workshop Curriculum
- Either attend the Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research workshop OR complete the online CITI RCR Training.
- Select and attend at least three (3) workshops from the RCR workshop series.
- Complete all requirements within one calendar year (365 days), then register in the NSF RCR Certification through EDGE Learning.
Completing the NSF Certificate, Option 2: Course for Academic Credit
If you enroll in a course for academic credit that devotes sufficient class time to RCR topics, you can earn the NSF RCR Certificate simply by attending class and completing the course with a passing grade. Generally, the faculty instructor of qualifying courses will already be in touch with the Responsible Conduct of Research Program to ensure that you get credit at the end of the semester, but if you're unsure, please contact the RCR Program directly at Research-Training@email.arizona.edu.
Contact Hours Required
The University of Arizona requires a minimum of six (6) hours of RCR instruction to complete; however, more hours are encouraged.
Instructional Format
NSF and the University of Arizona require NSF-funded scholars, trainees, and fellows to participate in RCR education that is instructor-led and involves face-to-face discussion. The only exception to this is the core requirement of the workshop curriculum, which may be completed online.
National Institute of Food and Agriculture RCR Certificate
The NIFA RCR Certificate is issued by the University of Arizona's Research, Innovation & Impact and acknowledges completion of the RCR education guidelines set forth by NIFA.
Who is Required to Complete the NIFA Certificate?
NIFA requires that all program directors, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and any staff participating in a research project funded by NIFA receive RCR training. Documentation of the training is subject to review by NIFA upon request. For the complete RCR policy, please see Article 7 of NIFA's research terms and conditions.
Earning the Certificate
UA offers the NIFA RCR Certificate to acknowledge the fulfillment of the NIFA requirement. The certificate may be earned online through EDGE Learning by completing the CITI RCR Training.
Register for the NIFA RCR Certificate program by following these steps:
Select this link and log into the EDGE Learning system with your NetID and password. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete registration.
Undergraduate RCR Certificate
Who Is Required to Complete the Undergraduate Certificate?
To fulfill the requirements set forth by NSF the University of Arizona requires all undergraduates conducting research on projects funded by NSF to complete the Undergraduate RCR Certificate. The reduced requirements of this certificate reflect the fact that undergraduates generally have less independence and more oversight from faculty in the research environment than graduate students and postdocs.
Registration Instructions for Undergraduate RCR Certification:
Select this link and log into the EDGE Learning system with your NetID and password. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete registration.
Contact Hours Required
The University of Arizona requires a minimum of 1.5 hours of RCR instruction to earn the Undergraduate RCR Certificate; however, more hours are encouraged.
Instructional Format
This certificate may be earned either online or by attending any single instructor-led workshop.
Earning the Certificate
The Undergraduate RCR Certificate may be earned by doing one of the following:
Attend at least one RCR workshop
or
Complete the online CITI RCR Training (Note: This is a more time-intensive option than the instructor-led workshop; the CITI training takes 3-4 hours, whereas the instructor-led workshops takes 1.5 hours.)