Responsible Conduct in Research
Proudly training future researchers in Responsible Conduct Research.
Since 1994, the NIH has required Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training for individuals supported by training grants such as K, T, or F grants. Some training grants will require RCR training over the duration of the award. This training is separate from the CITI training required by the IRB. Learn more about the following services offered by the Bioethics and Subject Advocacy Program at the Indiana CTSI:
- Courses in RCR
- RCR training
- Help formulating RCR training for career development or training proposals
Courses by campus
GRDM-G504: “Introduction to Research Ethics”
This three-credit course is offered each Fall term, and provides an in-depth introduction to a wide range of issues related to scientific integrity and the responsible conduct of research. The course meets for 2 hours and 40 minutes once a week and has a required take-home midterm and final exam. G504 course is most appropriate for students who would like a complete introduction to RCR, especially those who are in a graduate program where they can count this course towards their degree. Some graduate programs require G504, including the CITE program.
See listing in IU Indianapolis course catalog
GRDM-G506: “Responsible Conduct of Translational Research”
This one-credit course is offered each Spring term, and meets for just 8 sessions, 1 hour and 30 minutes each, for two months (e.g. Jan-Feb) and has a take-home midterm and final. This course provides a more limited and focused introduction on key topics in RCR, especially related to translational research, such as clinical trials and other human participants research.
See listing in IU Indianapolis course catalog
RCR Workshop
The Center for Bioethics is pleased to announce that we’re starting a Responsible Conduct in Research workshop series starting in January 2025. It will consist of 8 sessions. If interested, please email olivnj@iu.edu.
Students who need to satisfy RCR training requirements for an NIH training grant may audit one of these courses, with the agreement of the course director. See how to register as a non-degree seeking student here.
Some departments and graduate programs also offer their own RCR courses, such as GDRM-G505 “The Responsible Conduct of Research” in the Biological Sciences Graduate Group, and NURS-D602 “Responsible Conduct of Research” in the School of Nursing. Click here for more information about RCR at IU.
To view more information about the Responsible Conduct of Research Seminar Series from the Office for Research Compliance, please visit their site.
To view more information about the Responsible Conduct of Research training available through Purdue University, please visit their site.
To view more information about Responsible Conduct of Research training available through the University of Notre Dame, please visit their site.
Additional RCR Training Opportunities and Assistance
The Research Ethics for K Recipients (REKR) seminar is for NIH K applicants and awardees to discuss their research with their peers. Participants meet every two months and take a deep dive into the ethics issues specific to their research project. If interested in participating, please contact Nicolas Oliver.
BSAP Faculty can help applicants for K-series grants formulate and then carry out extended training in responsible conduct of research that spans the period of the award.
For more information about RCR training for your K grant, contact Peter Schwartz, MD, PhD, or Nic Oliver, MA.
NIH Responsible Conduct of Research subjects
- Conflict of interest personal, professional, and 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 (e.g., those that promote inclusion and are free of sexual, racial, ethnic, disability and other forms of discriminatory 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 (e.g., tools for analyzing data and creating or working with digital images); 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.