RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH (RCR) TRAINING

 

Responsible conduct of research is critically important for all students conducting systematic analyses, not just those in the sciences.  It involves the awareness and application of established professional norms and ethical principles in the performance of all activities related to scholarship.

Beginning Fall 2016, newly matriculating graduate students who receive financial support through an assistantship/fellowship that is supported partially or fully with funds from the Graduate School must complete training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). This training must be completed within the first year of enrollment. Continuation of funding beyond the first year is contingent upon demonstrated completion of this requirement. The table below lists the courses offered at UGA that meet the Graduate School requirement. Please note that the RCR training required for grants from federal agencies may be different from that required by the Graduate School. Additional information regarding RCR requirements for grants can be found on the Office of Research’s website at https://research.uga.edu/integrity-support/rcr/#1494438913053-ad9c86f1-1365.

 

Approved RCR courses for graduate students supported by the Graduate School:

Course #	Credit Hours	Semester Offered	Suitability	Description
GRSC 8550	1.0	Fall & Spring	All disciplines	Please click on the following link to search for a specific course:   http://bulletin.uga.edu/CoursesHome.aspx
PHRM 7230e	3.0	Fall, Spring, Summer	STEM disciplines
CBIO 8080	3.0	Fall	STEM disciplines
QUAL 8595e	3.0	Every other Summer	All disciplines
ARTS 8100	3.0	Fall	Fine Arts
HDFS 8910	3.0	Fall	HDFS Students Only
LLED 8000	3.0	Fall	Language & Literacy Education
COMM 8020	1.0	Fall	Communications

 

 

Creating an equivalent RCR course for Graduate School requirements:

The Graduate School welcomes requests from departments to create an equivalent RCR course. Instructional components for creating the course and the request process are outlined below.

 

Instructional Components

Format: Effective RCR training is best achieved when there is substantial exchange and discussion between participants. Small group discussions, case studies, and the participation of faculty members active in research and scholarship are highly encouraged. A plan that employs only online coursework for instruction in responsible conduct of research will not be considered acceptable, except in special instances of short-term training programs (see below), or unusual and well-justified circumstances.

 

Subject Matter: The following topics are important components of RCR instruction:

• conflict of interest – personal, professional, and financial
• policies regarding human subjects, live vertebrate animal subjects in research, and safe laboratory practices
• mentor/mentee responsibilities and relationships
• collaborative research including collaborations with non-academic partners
• peer review
• data acquisition and laboratory tools; management, sharing and ownership of data, intellectual property, or other scholarly products
• research misconduct and policies for handling misconduct
• responsible authorship and publication
• the scientist / scholar as a responsible member of society, contemporary ethical issues in the discipline

 

Submitting a request for an equivalent course:

• Graduate coordinators and graduate coordinator assistants may submit a request
• Go to GradStatus
• Review the instructions and complete the request form
• Attach a copy of the course description and submit

The request will be reviewed within two business days. An email will be sent to the submitter if the request is approved, if modifications need to be made, or if the request is denied.

Contact Karen Young at karen.young@uga.edu for more information.