Responsible Conduct of Research

The training resources on this site will assist you with learning about:

  • Common topics covered in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training and education
  • Resources available to faculty and students interested in engaging in and promoting the responsible conduct of research in their field

Staff from Research Compliance Services are happy to provide class presentations and group or individual consultations. Please email us to request a presentation or consultation. Access to the UO's RCR Training Plan, and an overview of NIH and NSF RCR training requirements is available on the OVPRI's Integrity and Compliance website.

On-Demand Trainings

NSF/NIH Responsible Conduct of Research Training for Researchers (10 - 30 minutes per Module)

Free, online RCR training is available to all UO students, faculty and staff through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). The CITI training includes high quality, peer reviewed modules aimed to enhance the integrity and professionalism of investigators and staff conducting research.

CITI RCR online training may satisfy some of NSF or NIH’s RCR requirements (the training plans submitted with award proposals should indicate whether or not and how the CITI RCR training will be used in the RCR training). CITI RCR training is also an option for any individual who is interested in the responsible conduct of research.

Required Modules:

  • Intro to RCR
  • Authorship
  • Collaborative Research
  • Conflicts of Interest
  • Data Management
  • Mentoring
  • Peer Review
  • Research Misconduct

Optional and Elective Modules:

  • Financial Responsibility
  • Using Animal Subjects in Research
  • Research Involving Human Subjects
  • Plagiarism
  • Research, Ethics, and Society
  • Environmental and Social Dimensions of Engineering Research
Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research for National Science Foundation Grants (2 hours, 55 minutes)

This interactive and practical training will help you to meet the requirements of the National Science Foundation Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) standards. UO faculty, staff, and students can access the course by logging in with their Duck ID and password (link for help logging in). 

As of July 2023, the National Science Foundation updated the responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR) requirement for all faculty and personnel who will be supported by NSF grants. The requirements state that those supported by NSF grants have a responsibility to “generate and disseminate knowledge with rigor and integrity,” and “conduct peer review with the highest ethical standards; diligently protect proprietary information and intellectual property from inappropriate disclosure; and treat students and colleagues fairly and with respect.” This course was designed to meet the new RECR requirement through a focus on peer review, authorship concerns, data management concerns, creating a safe research environment, mentorship, and collaborative research.

This course is specifically designed for faculty who will be submitting grant applications through the NSF, but it may also be applicable to postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students participating in those research projects—or to those simply looking to better understand research ethics and integrity.

The Lab (1-2 hours)

The Office of Research Integrity offers a recorded "role play" training video, available in multiple languages and closed captions. The video allows viewers to play different characters - e.g. graduate student, faculty advisor, Research Integrity Officer - and deal with issues of ethical conduct of research from a variety of perspectives. A tutorial for each character also provides the chance to examine the process of ethical decision-making.

Integrity in Scientific Research Series (each video under 2 minutes)

This video series from the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) offers brief (each under 2 minutes) vignettes that introduce viewers to key topics and ethical dilemmas addressed in most responsible conduct of research trainings. The videos are designed to stimulate discussion about research integrity principles among undergraduate/graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty and research staff. Each video is accompanied by an infographic that can be downloaded and disseminated electronically or printed.

Video 1: The Left Out AuthorInfographic  Authorship Practices To Avoid conflicts

Video 2: The Bad Role Model; Infographic 5 Qualities of Good Research Mentors

Video 3: The Grant Application Game...; Infographic  Apply for A Grant? Don't Take Shortcuts

Video 4: Breaking Protocol; Infographic Slippery Slope to Research Misconduct

Video 5: Caught Cheating; Infographic You've Been Accused of Research Misconduct – Now What?

Video 6: Ruined Internship: The Consequences of Plagiarism; Infographic Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism


At-Request Trainings

Staff from Research Compliance Services are happy to provide class presentations and group or individual consultations. Please email us to request a presentation or consultation.