The University of Iowa is responsible for ensuring that faculty, staff, postdocs, and students conducting research are trained in the responsible conduct of research (RCR). Federal and private funding agencies are requiring increased compliance and oversight to ensure that researchers are meeting mandated RCR training. As a premier academic research institution training the country’s future generations of researchers, it is imperative that we instill basic principles of scholarly integrity and ethical approaches to meet the needs of the University’s research mission.

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) and the Graduate College ensure that institutional compliance guidelines are met. All graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty (K awards series only) engaged in research activities funded by NIH/NSF and USDA FIFA grants MUST enroll in an approved Responsible Conduct of Research course and complete the Collaborative Instructional Training Initiative (CITI) web based training. CITI training should be completed in the first month of graduate or postdoctoral work. Graduate students should complete an approved RCR course in the first or second year of their graduate program. Postdocs and faculty with K series awards should complete the training in the first year. Please note that RCR training is required at every new stage of training (e.g. if had as a MA student, must also have as a PhD student) and refresher training is required every 4 years from the time the student or postdoc starts on a funding source requiring this training (not from the time the student completes a course).

Irrespective of this mandate, a department, program, and/or principal investigator may also require that their students and postdoctoral researchers complete this training regardless of the type of funding source. The concepts and principles discussed are highly relevant to academic scholars in all discipline areas.

For additional information on the University’s programs in the Responsible Conduct of Research, visit the OVPR web site.

Additional resources can also be found in Chapter 5 of the UI Researcher Handbook.