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Responsible Conduct in Research Program

The Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) program requires completion of Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program online modules, as well as eight face-to-face classroom hours in the RCR workshop.

CITI Program Online Modules

All UNMC doctoral graduate students and NIH supported postdoctoral fellows or trainees are required to complete and pass the Basic Biomedical RCR Modules of the CITI Program. CITI affiliated faculty, including some from UNMC, developed this mandatory, web-based component. It provides an extensive literature-based review of the NIH required RCR topics, includes numerous case studies and video exercises, and concludes each module with a content-based quiz. Topics include:

  • Research Misconduct
  • Data Management
  • Conflicts of Interest
  • Collaborative Science
  • Authorship
  • Mentoring
  • Peer Review
  • Using Animal Subjects in Research
  • Research Involving Human Subjects
  • Plagiarism

Face-to-Face Workshop

After completing the online modules, you will participate in faculty-led workshops consisting of a series of short lectures, discussions, and presentations of cases on scientific integrity and responsible conduct in research. Our own faculty developed many of these cases, while others are derived from “On Being a Scientist” (NAP, 3rd Ed, 2009). Topics include:

  • Overview of Responsible Conduct in Research
  • Data Management
  • Authorship
  • Mentoring
  • Peer Review
  • Collaborative Science
  • Conflict of Interest
  • Data acquisition and monitoring
  • Ethics and Regulations of Research with Humans and Animals
  • The Scientist as a Responsible Member of Society.

Faculty Participation

Three regular full-time faculty and the UNMC Compliance Officer are lead instructors and participants in the workshop. Additional faculty members from several UNMC programs are also frequent participants who contribute to the rich discussions that characterize the workshops. All faculty members who are involved in NIH training programs are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in the workshops.

Duration

The RCR Workshop consists of eight classroom hours, delivered in two-hour class meetings scheduled during consecutive weeks during each semester. The students are required to attend all eight contact hours of these sessions. Multiple workshops are scheduled throughout each semester.

Frequency

The workshops are usually scheduled twice per year during both the spring and fall semesters. Additional workshops may be scheduled depending upon participant enrollment and demand.

After completion of the workshop, a “Certificate of Completion” is provided to the student and a record of such is maintained in the Graduate Studies and/or Postdoctoral Affairs Offices.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) is in full compliance with all requirements contained in NOT-OD-10-019, “Requirements for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research”.