Responsible Conduct of Research
CU-Boulder is committed to the core principle of performing original research and providing scientific training using the highest standards and best practices of ethics and the responsible conduct of research (RCR).
What is RCR?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines RCR as “the practice of scientific investigation with integrity. It involves the awareness and application of established professional norms and ethical principles in the performance of all activities related to scientific research.”
Until recently, emphasis on RCR focused primarily on research misconduct, defined by the themes of data fabrication or falsification and plagiarism. Today RCR is viewed as a much broader set of guiding principles and behaviors on topics including:
- Mentor-trainee interactions and responsibilities
- Data acquisition, management, sharing and ownership
- Safe laboratory practices
- Publication practices and authorship
- Peer review
- Conflicts of interest
- Collaborative science
- Research misconduct
- Human subjects
- Animal welfare
- The scientist in society
The goal of RCR education at CU-Boulder is to inform all individuals engaged in the research process about the key issues, current standards, and best ethical practices.
Who Requires Training in RCR?
CU-Boulder encourages all faculty, staff, and trainees (i.e., undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows) involved in research to obtain instruction in RCR that is appropriate for their level of education, training, responsibility, and discipline.
Presently, the following research personnel are required to complete training in RCR:
- Any student or postdoctoral fellow who is paid from a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant award. See NSF requirements >>
- Trainees supported by specific awards (institutional training grants, educational grants, and research career development awards) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). See NIH requirements >>
Questions Regarding RCR?
Email: rcr@colorado.edu