Policy Library

Responsible Conduct of Research

Instruction in Research Compliance

National Science Foundation (NSF) Certification Requirement in the Responsible & Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) believes the responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR) is critical for excellence, as well as public trust, in science and engineering. RECR involves not only a responsibility to generate and disseminate knowledge with rigor and integrity, but also a responsibility to:

  • 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.

Effective July 31, 2023, an institution must have a plan in place to provide appropriate training and oversight in the responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and other senior personnel who will be supported by NSF to conduct research. An institutional certification to this effect is required for each proposal submitted to the NSF.

University of Chicago Implementation

The University supports the use of the web based training program of The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) courses to satisfy the NSF RECR education requirement.

  • Prior to any NSF research awards made on or after October 1, 2023, all undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and other senior personnel supported by the research award will need to complete the CITI RCR Basic course.
  • Notifications of the requirement will be sent to the appropriate unit administrator for all NSF-funded research awards made after July 31, 2023.
  • URA will include notifications of the requirement when reviewing research proposals submitted to the NSF.
  • RCR training must be renewed every four years thereafter. This requirement can be met by the completion of the CITI RCR Refresher Course.

Institutional Monitoring

  • For NSF research awards received on or after October 1, 2023, a compliance check will be conducted in URA at Intake to verify that all undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and other senior personnel supported by the research award have completed the required training. An account will not be created until the requirements have been met.
  • On an annual basis (October 1), URA will audit the required training completion for a) any covered individuals who are added during the life of a research project; and b) compliance with the 4-year CITI RCR Refresher course requirement.
  • URA will provide divisional and school administrative leadership with completion information on a quarterly basis for additional local monitoring.

CITI Program Guide

Misconduct in Science/Research

University of Chicago