NSF RCR Requirements
Explore this page to understand the National Science Foundation (NSF) requirements for training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR).
Who do the NSF RCR requirements apply to?
For grants submitted for funding to NSF on or after July 31, 2023, all individuals participating in the NSF funded research will be required to complete RCR training. This includes PIs, Co-PIs, senior research personnel, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students supported by NSF awards.
See the NSF’s Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research website for more information.
NSF Principal Investigator (PI) responsibilities
The NSF requires certification that a program is in place and that faculty receive training in mentoring / mentorship.
Although the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Offices of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs tracks RCR training completion on a regular basis, the PI is ultimately responsible for monitoring and ensuring that trainees working on their NSF grants complete the RCR requirement.
Unlike the NIH requirements, PIs do not need to include RCR program details in their NSF proposals.
University of Rochester programs that fulfill NSF RCR requirements
All RCR training modules and programs may be accessed through CITI. We’ve developed instructions for logging in to CITI to help you get started.
- Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research and Mentoring (listed as “RECR for UR NSF Funded Investigators” in CITI)
- Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research
- Plagiarism
- Authorship
- Collaborative Research
- Conflicts of Interest and Commitment
- Financial Responsibility
- Peer Review
- Research Misconduct
- Data Management
- Mentoring and Healthy Research Environments
- Research Misconduct
- Data Management
- Mentoring and Healthy Research Environments