Potential U.S. Federal Government Shutdown: Research Continuity Guidance

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Research Integrity at Cornell

For all proposals submitted to NSF on or after July 31, 2023: All undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and other senior personnel supported by the proposed research project, must have received RCR training, including training in mentorship.  See full details

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.

The RCR Symposium is a training program for researchers about complex issues related to research ethics. 
The Symposium is open to all students, postdocs, fellows, faculty, and other researchers and meets in-person RCR training requirements for those supported by NIH training grants. Attendees will take online training on RCR, attend a discussion group to address case studies, and attend a panel discussion.

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

  1. 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.
  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 Hybrid RCR Programming: The RCR office co-hosts workshops and symposia throughout the year, including an annual winter symposium aimed at NIH Training Grant trainees (though open to all), and a summer workshop for undergraduate students. Contact us if you are interested in collaborating on an RCR event.