Federal Training Requirements
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH requires that all trainees, fellows, participants, and scholars receiving support through any NIH training grant, career development grant (individual or institutional), research education grant, and dissertation research grant must receive instruction in responsible conduct of research.
Applicable programs include: D43, D71, F05, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F37, F38, K01, K02, K05, K07, K08, K12, K18, K22, K23, K24, K25, K26, K30, K99/R00, KL1, KL2, R25, R36, T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T90/R90, TL1, TU2, and U2R programs, and any other NIH funded programs supporting research training, career development, or research education that require instruction in RCR per the relevant funding opportunity announcement.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Policy
Section 7009 of the America COMPETES Act (click here)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued a new mandate that expands the existing Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) training requirements.
For proposals submitted to NSF on or after July 31, 2023, all researchers, including faculty, post-docs, graduate and undergraduate students, and other senior personnel named on proposals to NSF must complete RECR training before engaging in research projects sponsored by the NSF.
This requirement reflects two changes:
- the RECR training requirement has expanded, and now applies to faculty and other senior personnel, as well as undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and
- the RECR training must include training on mentorship.
Principal Investigators are responsible for ensuring all researchers, including faculty, post-docs, graduate and undergraduate students, and other senior personnel supported through their grant(s) complete training at the start of work on the research project.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
2 CFR Part 422, Sections 2, 3, and 8 (click here)
NIFA requires that all program directors, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and any staff participating in a research project funded by NIFA receive RCR training. Documentation of the training is subject to review by NIFA upon request. ORC reviews a monthly report of all persons paid from USDA awards for the previous month. Any persons being paid from a USDA grant receives correspondence from ORC regarding non-completion of training.