» Responsible Conduct in Research

Chapman University is committed to ethical conduct in all aspects of teaching, research and service. Various funding agencies have requirements related to the training of students, post-doctoral fellows and faculty related to responsible conduct in research (RCR). Although requirements vary by funding agency, faculty are expected to make the ethical conduct of research a part of mentoring and discussions with students and mentees. The Office of Research provides the following guidance and resources in support of training in the responsible conduct of research.

National Institutes of Health:

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. For NIH training awards, online RCR training (CITI) alone is not sufficient to meet NIH regulatory requirements. Trainees should contact the Office of Research for guidance on what supplemental activities are required.

National Science Foundation (NSF):

Faculty are responsible for ensuring that all students and post-doctoral researchers who perform research on the NSF award log into the CITI website and take the RCR training module within the timeframe specified by NSF. Each student/postdoctoral researcher must complete all instructional areas in the CITI module with a total passing grade of 80% or better in order to generate and print a certificate of completion.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA):

Institutions that conduct USDA-funded extramural research are required to foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and maintain and effectively communicate and train their staff regarding policies and procedures (NIFA Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research). USDA recommends completion of the RCR training module through CITI.