All undergraduate and graduate research assistants, post-doctoral researchers, and principal investigator faculty members receiving external research funding from NSF and NIH are required to undergo Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training within their discipline category. Training is required when funding is the result of proposals submitted after January 4, 2010. RCR training must be successfully completed within 30 days of the individual’s start date on the research project.
When an undergraduate, graduate student, or post-doctoral researcher’s status changes (e.g. from undergraduate to graduate, from graduate to post-doctoral researcher, or from post-doctoral Researcher to faculty member), the individual must re-take the RCR CITI course for their discipline category in order meet the requirements for their new status. Faculty members are not required to re-take the RCR CITI course once they have initially completed it for a new or continued NSF or NIH research grant received as a result of proposal submitted after January 4, 2010.
Lehigh University’s membership in the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) web-based RCR training is includes offerings in five disciplines: biomedical, social and behavioral science, physical science, humanities and engineering. At the time of registration in the course, new users should affiliate with Lehigh University in order to complete the courses. There is no individual fee for completing the course when affiliating on CITI with Lehigh University.
The complete policy on Lehigh University’s Responsible Conduct of Research training plan in available here.
If you have questions regarding this requirement, you may contact your Contract and Grant Specialist in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
The following provide more details on specific federal funding requirements.