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Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR)

UWF is dedicated to the highest principles and standards of integrity in all activities. For research and scholarly activities, this dedication requires UWF to promote and maintain Responsible Conduct in Research.

What is Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR)?

The responsible and ethical conduct of research is critical for excellence, as well as maintaining the public trust in research, both for individual students, professors, and staff and for UWF as an institution. Education in RCR is essential in the preparation of future researchers and scholars.

RCR Training Requirements

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has recently updated the requirement for Responsible Conduct of Research training to be extended to now include faculty and other senior personnel on awards. New NSF proposals submitted on or due on or after July 31, 2023, will require students, post-doc fellows, faculty and senior personnel to take RCR training. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and United States Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) also require students and other personnel involved in their awards to complete RCR training. Individuals who do not complete required RCR training cannot be paid beginning one week after their training deadline expires, and cannot be reinstated to the award until the training is complete.

The following funding agencies require RCR Training:

RCR Training Requirements
Funding Source Undergraduate Students Master's Students Doctoral Students Post-Doc Fellows Faculty/Staff
NSF Online Online Online Online Online
NIH* Online and 8 hours in-person Online and 8 hours in-person Online and 8 hours in-person Online and 8 hours in-person Online and 8 hours in-person for fellows and career award recipients. (Also, strongly recommended for other faculty and staff.)
USDA/NIFA Online Online Online Online Online

*NIH applies to the following award types: 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.

National Science Foundation (NSF) awards

All trainees (undergraduates, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows), faculty and senior personnel who receive salaries or stipend support for conducting research under an NSF award for any amount of time must receive training in RCR (more details can be found on the NSF website). This requirement does not apply to conference, symposium, workshop or travel awards.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards

All trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training award, career development award (individual or institutional), research education grant, or dissertation research grant must receive RCR training (more details can be found on the NIH website). This policy applies to the following programs and other NIH-funded programs that specify an RCR training requirement: 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.

United States Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) awards

All program directors, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and staff participating in a USDA-NIFA research project must receive RCR training. More details can be found on the USDA-NIFA website.

Online CITI RCR Training Course

UWF has contracted with a third party, Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI), to provide online training in RCR. To access the CITI Responsible Conduct of Research Course:

  1. Login to the CITI website. If you don't have a CITI account, register at CITI, select UWF as the Institution and skip to #4 below.
  2. Go to "View Courses"
  3. Below My Courses list, click the link to Add a course
  4. On the Select Curriculum page, scroll down to the CITI Course Enrollment Questions.
  5. In question 4, choose which RCR course matches your field of research.
  6. Click Continue
  7. On the Main Menu page, find the RCR course(s) you selected and click Enter to begin the course.

Please contact Research Administration and Engagement at 850.474.2824 for assistance with signing on to CITI.