RCR Training
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training
RCR Training for Biomedical, Social and Behavioral, Humanities and Physical Science.
In order to promote integrity and accountability in the scientific process and to meet institutional obligations as a federal grantee institution, Georgetown University has developed a program of instruction in the responsible conduct of research based on graduate levels of study and achievement throughout the scientist’s professional life.
Mandatory programs for all undergraduates, graduate students and pre-doctoral trainees engaged in research include either a semester course focusing on RCR, or the electronic CITI RCR course. Researchers funded under an NIH F-Series or K-Series grants must also have no less than 8 hours of face to face instruction by way of small group discussions such as, but not limited to, lab meetings, departmental journal clubs and seminars. For further details please click on your specific campus plan below.
Main Campus and Medical Center Ph.D. students may enroll in NSCI-532/TBIO-562, Survival Skills and Ethics for Emerging Scientists (required for Ph.D. students in Pharmacology, IPN, TBIO, Microbiology and Biochemistry). If you are interested in taking this course, please contact one of the following course instructors:
- Patrick Forcelli, paf22@georgetown.edu
- Ludise Malkova, malkoval@georgetown.edu
- Anna Riegel, ariege01@georgetown.edu
- Rebecca Riggins, rebecca.riggins@georgetown.edu
- Rabindra Roy, rr228@georgetown.edu
Medical Center (GUMC)
Main Campus, Law Center, Qatar Campus
Completing the online course from the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI):
- Log onto the CITI homepage with your username and password.
- Select Georgetown University as your institution.
- CME/CEU credits for the required courses are available through the University of Miami – Office of Continuing Medical Education. They will provide up to 6 Category 1 CME credits for Physicians, Physician’s Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Psychologists. To be eligible for 6 credits, you must complete a minimum of 12 modules from the Biomedical track and you must have an aggregate score of 80% correct on the quizzes. More information can be found on the CITI webpages.
- At the end of the required modules, you will have an opportunity to print the certificate of completion for your records. CITI will automatically forward the Certificate of Completion to the Office of Regulatory Affairs.
Additional Research Training Resources
Sex as a Biologic Variable – NIH expects that sex as a biological variable will be factored into research designs, analyses, and reporting in vertebrate animal and human studies. Strong justification from the scientific literature, preliminary data, or other relevant considerations must be provided for applications proposing to study only one sex.
ORI Infographics on the Responsible Conduct of Research – The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has developed a series infographics addressing the Responsible Conduct of Research and the handling of research misconduct. These infographics can be used by RCR instructors and Research Integrity Officers (RIOs) to help educate the community on research integrity topics.
Inclusion Across the Lifespan – applies to all grant applications for human subject research.
Nature Masterclasses – Georgetown University has access to the Nature Masterclasses online course in Scientific Writing and Publishing, which covers 15 different subject areas surrounding presentation and conduct of research. Access is available to students of all levels, post doctoral fellows, faculty, staff and administrators and on all campuses using Georgetown University’s wifi or internet. To start using the course, simply sign up on the Nature Masterclasses website.
The Lab: Avoiding Research Misconduct – an interactive training video from The Office of Research Integrity (ORI). Addresses Responsible Conduct of Research topics, e.g., avoiding research misconduct, mentorship responsibilities, handling of data, responsible authorship, and questionable research practices. (Disponible en Español; 可在中国)
The Research Clinic – an interactive training video from The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) and the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). Developed to train clinical and social researchers on how to protect research subjects and avoid research misconduct.
Rigor and Reproducibility – a video series from The National Institutes of Health to enhance rigor and reproducibility in research and explore issues such as bias, blinding, and exclusion criteria.
Protecting Confidentiality in Peer Review (flash video) – NIH Office of Extramural Research video tutorial on maintaining confidentiality throughout the peer review process.
The ORI Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research (PDF) – A comprehensive overview of rules and principles of responsible research.
NIH Research Methods Resources – The NIH is launching a series of initiatives in 2017–2018 to enhance the accountability and transparency of clinical research. These initiatives target key points along the entire clinical trial lifecycle, from concept to results reporting.
NIH Definition of a Clinical Trial – A research study in which one or more human subjects are prospectively assigned to one or more interventions (which may include placebo or other control) to evaluate the effects of those interventions on health-related biomedical or behavioral outcomes.
HHS – The Office of Research Integrity
Committee on Publication Ethics [COPE] – “What constitutes authorship?”
Responding to Research Wrongdoing: A User-Friendly Guide (PDF)