RCR Training for Ph.D. Students
As a land-, sea-, and space-grant institution, UNH is accountable to both New Hampshire residents and the university community to ensure the safe and ethical conduct of research and scholarly activity. To maintain its extensive research endeavors and the involvement of undergraduates and graduate students in research projects, UNH has an obligation to teach and actively promote integrity in research and scholarship.
To achieve these goals, the Graduate Council has mandated all incoming Ph.D. students attend RCR training by the end of their first semester. Students may fulfill this requirement by EITHER: Registering for and successfully completing GRAD 930: Ethics in Research and Scholarship or Completing 12 Web-based RCR modules (see below) AND Attending an RCR training session presented by the Graduate School.
Please contact either Dr. Will Clyde or Julie Simpson with questions about the training requirement or the training session.
- What: Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training for New PhD Students
- Where: TBD
- When: TBD
- Registration: TBD
Via email in August, the Graduate School will provide information to students who need to meet this requirement. Additional information about the training will be emailed to students nearer the session date. Information about the training is also available in the Responsible Conduct of Research section of the UNH Graduate School Canvas site.
Research Integrity Services
Research Integrity Services (RIS) administers UNH’s program for the protection of human subjects in research and the Institutional Review Board (IRB). RIS administers UNH’s program for the humane care and use of vertebrate animals, and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). RIS also manages UNH’s responsible conduct of research and scholarly activity program, administers UNH’s financial conflict of interest in research programs and the UNH Disclosure Review Committee (DRC), oversees UNH's compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and provides consultation to UNH faculty regulatory groups.
Online Training Modules
Students completing the RCR requirement by attending the training session must complete and certify via email their completion of 12 online RCR modules prior to attending the session. These modules offer introductions to content and issues that will be discussed at the session; it's therefore imperative that students complete these modules before attending the session.
Access the RCR Training Modules
Modules may be completed according to the individual's own timeframe, over multiple sessions. Allow approximately 30 minutes for each module. Each module presents:
- Learning objectives
- A case study featuring ethical issues pertaining to the topic area
- Content that supports the learning objective. Links to pertinent websites, resources and bibliographic references are provided throughout the material. Adobe Reader may be required to read PDF documents and can be be downloaded for free from Adobe.
- Review scenarios at the end of the content section
- The same case study at the end of the content with ethical issues identified
- A way to certify completion at the end of the module. (Note: In order to certify completion of a module all review questions must be answered correctly.) For students completing the RCR requirement by attending the training session, ALL modules must be certified as complete prior to attending the session.
National Science Foundation (NSF) & U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food & Agriculture (NIFA) RCR Training Mandates
Individuals at UNH taking the 12 RCR modules to fulfill part of the NSF RCR training mandate and/or the USDA NIFA RCR training mandate must complete the certification form at the end of every module, and indicate this purpose in the comments section of the form in order to ensure credit.
If you have questions about the modules please email Julie Simpson, Director of Research Integrity Services.
Financial support for the development of these instructional modules was provided by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through a $25,000 Responsible Conduct of Research Resource Development Program grant. This grant supported approximately 80% of the project's costs.
