RECR Training

Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) applies to all researchers and research staff engaged in  scholarly research. While written with all researchers in mind, special consideration has been given to the needs of students and postdoctoral scholars.

NIH Requirement

The NIH requires instruction in the responsible conduct of research for all trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through NIH Institutional Research Training Grants, Individual Fellowship Awards, Career Development Awards (Institutional and Individual), Research Education Grants, Dissertation Research Grants, or other grant programs with a training component that requires instruction in responsible conduct of research as noted in the Funding Opportunity Announcement.

These mechanisms include:

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.

Completion of the following (1) course satisfies the NIH requirement for training in the responsible conduct of research.

• MED 255: Responsible Conduct of Research. This one-quarter Stanford course is offered through the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics.

NSF Requirement

The National Science Foundation requires that, at the time of proposal submission, the institution has a plan to provide appropriate Responsible Conduct of Research training and oversight to all students (undergraduates, graduate, and postdocs) who will be supported by NSF to conduct research.  Students who are funded by the National Science Foundation, e.g., students with NSF fellowships, or paid as an RA on an NSF research project, are required to complete the appropriate RECR module within the first quarter of their funding.

Completion of one of the two courses listed below satisfies the NSF requirement for training in the responsible conduct of research.

1. CITI Modules on Responsible Conduct of Research. These web-based modules have been developed by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI).

2. MED 255: Responsible Conduct of Research. This one-quarter Stanford course is offered through the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics.

FAQS

1. Do I have to complete the quizzes?
   
   Several of the modules require a completion quiz. Where there is a required quiz, you must complete it with a score of at least 85% in order to have your completion of that module recorded.

2. What is a passing grade?

   A grade of 85% or better is required to pass an RCR module quiz. If you do not achieve that score, you can retake the quiz (questions may be different) until you do.

3. Does my grade go on my Stanford transcript?

   No. Module quiz scores are kept only within a database of CITI completions. Your completion of any of these tutorials is not recorded by the Office of the Registrar at Stanford University, and is not recorded on your University transcript.

4. I am funded by the NSF. When do I need to complete an RCR module?

   Students who are funded by the National Science Foundation, e.g., students with NSF fellowships or paid as an RA on an NSF research project are required to complete the appropriate RCR module within the first quarter of their funding.