Training for PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS and co-PIs:
The Principal Investigator and co-PIs on covered NSF, NIH, and NIFA proposals shall complete the requirement for RCR training before the Office of Sponsored Projects will release an award. Training is accomplished through:
- Completion of an online course delivered through Canvas; and
- Completion of an online RCR course through the CITI website.
It is highly recommended that training is completed soon after a proposal is submitted to minimize delays in awarding. The Principal Investigator will receive notification from the Office of Sponsored Projects regarding this training requirement upon the submission of a proposal.
To Self Enroll in RCR training in Canvas (As of October 2022):
- Go to my.msstate.edu
- Scroll down the bottom of the page
- Under the "Classroom" section, the "Canvas Course Self Enrollment" box is located on the right hand side.
- Click on "Find a Course" and choose Responsible Conduct of Research for PIs and co-PIs
- Click the sliding tab that says "Self enroll, Yes/No" and mark "Yes" and then "Confirm"
- Go to canvas.msstate.edu to confirm the course is available to you on the Dashboard.
The Canvas training takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and is intended to give PIs and co-PIs an overview of their responsibilities.
- To enroll in CITI:
- Go here for step-by-step instructions
Training for OTHER PROJECT PERSONNEL:
Other project personnel (not PIs or co-PIs) should complete the RCR training requirement via one of two options:
- CITI online certification in RCR plus attendance at 4 one-hour seminars covering ethical issues (8 sessions for NIH projects); or
- Enrollment in an approved 1-hour or 3-hour credit course in Research Ethics. The course must be face-to-face; it cannot be online.
Other project personnel should complete the on-line CITI training component within the first 90 days of appointment to a covered project. The face-to-face training component should be completed within the first 12 months of appointment to a covered project.
When are the Live Sessions offered?
- We usually offer four RCR Live Sessions in the fall and spring semesters. If you need other RCR accommodations, please email Jenny Davis (jdavis@orc.msstate.edu)
How do I see what Live Sessions are offered and where can I register for them?
- All RCR Live sessions and their registration links will be in the "My Training" tab at the top of this website. These are typically uploaded in August and December.
Are the Live Sessions offered in person or virtually?
- We usually offer the Live Sessions virtually or hybrid.
Are there options to schedule some live training for my students?
- Yes, we want to be as accommodating as possible. We are available to offer tailored live RCR training to groups upon request. Just email Jenny Davis at jdavis@orc.msstate.edu to set this up.
How do I get a course added to the list of courses that qualify as RCR Credit?
If you feel that your course contains the following from the list below, then this would qualify as RCR credit:
- Face-to-face or synchronous so the students can have interaction
- Students complete the CITI RCR training modules as an assignment
- Covers most of the ethical issues associated with the core competencies recognized by the PHS Policy on Instruction in Responsible Conduct of Research:
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conflict of interest – personal, professional, and financial – and conflict of commitment, in allocating time, effort, or other research resources
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policies regarding human subjects, live vertebrate animal subjects in research, and safe laboratory practices
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mentor/mentee responsibilities and relationships
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safe research environments (e.g., those that promote inclusion and are free of sexual, racial, ethnic, disability and other forms of discriminatory harassment)
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collaborative research, including collaborations with industry and investigators and institutions in other countries
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peer review, including the responsibility for maintaining confidentiality and security in peer review
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data acquisition and analysis; laboratory tools (e.g., tools for analyzing data and creating or working with digital images); recordkeeping practices, including methods such as electronic laboratory notebooks
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secure and ethical data use; data confidentiality, management, sharing, and ownership
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research misconduct and policies for handling misconduct
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responsible authorship and publication
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the scientist as a responsible member of society, contemporary ethical issues in biomedical research, and the environmental and societal impacts of scientific research
Please email Jenny Davis (jdavis@orc.msstate.edu) to inquire about adding your course to the list of courses available for RCR credit. Be sure to include a copy of the syllabus or course schedule.
Refresher Training:
Refresher training is required only for covered NIH projects. NIH states that "[a]cceptable programs generally involve at least 8 contact hours and be undertaken at least once during each career stage, and at a frequency of no less than once every four years".