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Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Research Integrity at Cornell

Training Research Integrity Help with Sponsor Requirements

Cornell provides an online training course on Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research and Research Security. This course meets all current federal requirements for Research Security training as well as those for Responsible Conduct of Research training*. This training is a requirement of anyone who is named or paid on sponsored funds, and can be found here: CU601 - Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research and Research Security.

*Please note that additional training requirements still apply for those researchers who work with animals or human subjects.

The integrity of research conducted at Cornell University is of the utmost importance to the institution, as well as to the public and our research sponsors. Our training and education program in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is designed to meet the university's commitment to promoting and supporting the ethical and responsible conduct of research across all disciplines. It is also designed to meet the regulatory requirements set by NSF, NIH, and USDA-NIFA for funded research.

Cornell's Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) program demonstrates this commitment by providing the following services to researchers across the campus:

  1. Online Training on RCR and Research Security (CU601): Cornell provides online RCR training, which is required for all individuals who are named or paid on sponsored funds.
  2. Compliance with Sponsor RCR Requirements: RCR and OSP staff collaborate to ensure that Cornell researchers funded by NIH, NSF, or USDA-NIFA are in compliance with sponsor RCR requirements. Learn more here.
  3. RCR Resources: The RCR office compiles and shares case studies and other discussion materials on topics such as plagiarism, mentoring, research misconduct, and rigor and reproducibility. Anyone is welcome to use these materials in their classrooms or labs. We can also help develop new educational materials specific to your discipline; contact our office if you would like to learn more.
  4. "Face-to-face" RCR Training: The RCR office co-hosts workshops and symposia throughout the year, including the annual Spring RCR Symposium (which is open to everyone, and assists in meeting the in-person training requirements of NIH training grants). Additionally, faculty are encouraged to host their own RCR trainings, discussions, and workshops in their labs, and may reach out to the RCR office for help with content.
  5. Additional RCR Training: Cornell provides online RCR training through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI), which is available to Cornell faculty, staff, and students. Training completion records are also available to document compliance, when needed.