Responsible Conduct of Research Guidelines

Use these guidelines to maintain the highest ethical standards in all research activity on campus.

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Responsible Conduct of Research Guidelines

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Integrity is the foundation of impactful research

As a researcher, your work contributes to the advancement of knowledge and solutions that can transform lives. Upholding the principles of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is essential—not just to comply with federal regulations, but to ensure the credibility and reliability of your findings.

RCR guidelines provide a framework for addressing the ethical, professional, and practical challenges you may encounter during your research journey. By committing to these practices, you protect the integrity of your work, build trust with collaborators and participants, and uphold the values that define excellent research.

Access RCR curriculum

Depending on reading speed, your area course, and whether you follow all links, total completion time for all modules is approximately 2-5 hours. This is a rigorous online course and not a brief exposure to RCR. Passing is set to 80% summed across all modules.

Start the Training

Start by going to CITI's login and registration page.

If you've registered for a CITI course before:

Login using that username and password.
Click "Add a course or update learner groups"
Check "Responsible Conduct of Research Courses only"
Choose the RCR course you wish to take and click next.
Click on the course to begin it.

If you have not registered with CITI before:

Click the "Register" button under "Create an Account."
Search for "University of Mississippi – Oxford" and click "Continue to Step 2."
Complete steps 2 through 7. Note: If you are UM faculty/staff, please enter your employee number in the Employee Number space; if you are a UM student, enter your student ID number.
Choose "Responsible Conduct of Research courses only." You can always add courses later.
Choose the RCR course you wish you take and finalize registration.
Click on the course to begin it.

There are four RCR courses to choose from. You only need to take the one that best fits your field. Some fields may not have a clear fit.

Natural sciences personnel should take Physical Science RCR.

Listed below are the four courses.

Biomedical RCR

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course Conclusion (ID: 1043)
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course Introduction (ID: 1522)
Authorship (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16597)
Collaborative Research (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16598)
Conflicts of Interest (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16599)
Data Management (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16600)
Mentoring (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16602)
Peer Review (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16603)
Research Misconduct (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16604)

Humanities RCR

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course Introduction (ID: 1522)
Case Study - Data Management 4-1446 (ID: 1446)
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course Conclusion (ID: 1043)
Authorship (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16597)
Collaborative Research (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16598)
Conflicts of Interest (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16599)
Data Management (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16600)
Mentoring (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16602)
Peer Review (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16603)
Research Misconduct (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16604)

Physical Science RCR

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course Introduction (ID: 1522)
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course Conclusion (ID: 1043)
Collaboration Between Academics 3-1392 (ID: 1392)
Case Study - Data Management 3-1445 (ID: 1445)
Authorship (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16597)
Collaborative Research (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16598)
Conflicts of Interest (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16599)
Data Management (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16600)
Mentoring (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16602)
Peer Review (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16603)
Research Misconduct (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16604)

Social and Behavioral RCR

Peer Review (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16603)
Research Misconduct (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16604)
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course Conclusion (ID: 1043)
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Course Introduction (ID: 1522)
Responsible Mentoring 01-1625 Archived 1625 (ID: 1625)
Authorship (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16597)
Collaborative Research (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16598)
Conflicts of Interest (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16599)
Data Management (RCR-Basic) (ID: 16600)

The policy language requires “Principal Investigators and key personnel participating in sponsored projects, including staff, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate and undergraduate students” to complete CITI online RCR education.

This means, anyone named in a proposal or reportable as key personnel (in an annual grant report) should meet the threshold for RCR education.

However, exempt from CITI RCR would be:

Students in purely administrative roles, defined as those who have no role in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.
Administrative staff who have no contact with the research.
PIs should make these determinations.

The policy mandates follow federal agency requirements.

A large percentage of concerns brought to ORED involves students. To the extent that education is preventive, the online education component should help students avoid these concerns and focus on their work instead.

Investing in education around the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) can save significant time, effort, and resources—both for researchers and the university. Consider these examples:

Research misconduct: Every case at UM has stemmed from ignorance or carelessness, leading to enormous emotional and time costs for everyone involved. While UM has avoided the steep financial consequences seen elsewhere—some cases in the U.S. have cost over $1 million, with one exceeding $38 million—the stakes remain high.
Authorship disputes: Disagreements over authorship often strain or break relationships, particularly between mentors and students. These conflicts erode collaboration and trust, ultimately slowing progress.
Failed collaborations: A lack of simple planning can derail partnerships, wasting both time and funding from UM and external sources.
Conflict of interest violations: Principal investigators establishing companies sometimes inadvertently violate state conflict of interest laws and university policies, resulting in financial losses and setbacks.
Student guidance gaps: Overextended mentors can leave students with minimal guidance, causing delays in their research and adding years to their academic journeys.

No. CITI provides three online education programs with zero overlap among them: human subjects research (IRB), animal research (IACUC), and responsible conduct of research (RCR).

CITI programs are constantly evolving and improving in both content and form (and CITI has limited staff).

Expand your knowledge through additional RCR education

Engaging in additional RCR education opportunities allows you to deepen your understanding of ethics and best practices in research and scholarship. Beyond fulfilling requirements, ancillary RCR education equips you with tools to navigate complex challenges, collaborate effectively, and mentor others.

GRAD 600

Offered in partnership between ORED and the Graduate School, this 1-credit hour course provides in-depth exploration of RCR topics. Available at least once a year, GRAD 600 is ideal for researchers seeking structured guidance on ethical research practices.

Learning in the Moment

The most effective RCR education often happens in classrooms, lab groups, and mentorship interactions. Faculty, staff, and students all contribute to fostering a culture that promotes responsible conduct. By integrating RCR discussions into everyday research activities, the university enhances awareness and accountability across campus.

NIH requirements

Beyond promoting research integrity, the RCR curriculum is designed to help comply with the November 2009 National Institutes of Health (NIH) update on its requirement for instruction in the responsible conduct of research and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Implementation of the America COMPETES Act requirements as well as to meet national ethics education norms.

The NIH requirement applies to all NIH Institutional Research Training Grants, Individual Fellowship Awards, Career Development Awards, Research Education Grants, Dissertation Research Grants, or other NIH programs with a training component that includes such instruction. In addition to completing the University’s RCR program, NIH applicants must seek opportunities for formal and informal training that is ongoing, relevant to their own disciplines, and appropriate to their career stage. NIH applicants must provide detailed descriptions of these activities in applications for funding and reports. Consult requirements specified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement or see the NIH Guidelines for additional instructions in the 2009 NIH Update.