NSF Responsible Conduct of Research Changes Effective July 31

NSF has expanded their Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training, their requirement to provide appropriate training and oversight in the ethical conduct of research.

NSF has expanded who is required to take the RCR training. It will soon be required for Principal Investigators and for senior personnel (i.e., faculty and other academic appointees), as well as postdoctoral scholars and students, who are supported on new NSF grant proposals submitted on or after July 31, 2023.
There are new requirements which specify that training is required on the topics of mentor training and mentorship; research security threats awareness training; and federal export control, disclosure, and reporting requirements.
NSF is now referring to these requirements as the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR). The Research Ethics and Compliance Office (RECO), which supports the RCR program, will continue to use the term RCR to refer to the NSF training requirements.

UC Davis Office of Research and RECO has contracted with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) to provide online training in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). These online courses are designed for faculty and staff members, graduate students and undergraduate students and satisfy federal regulations that require RCR training as a part of grant and contracts terms and conditions. Completing these courses and in-person sessions (offered via Zoom) are part of the RCR Certification requirements.

Please contact the RECO office if you have questions or need guidance in Responsible Conduct of Research.