Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Responsible Conduct of Research Fall 2024 Course Info

Tulane University provides Responsible Conduct in Research (“RCR”) training to the university research community via online RCR training and through RCR training seminars.  RCR training is overseen by the University’s Research Compliance Office (“RCO”) in coordination with faculty, administration, and staff who are performing and/or overseeing research occurring at the university. 

Online RCR Training

The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services has worked with the research community to develop and engaging, innovative and effective training video, "The Lab: Avoiding Research Misconduct." "The Lab" presents decision points related to work-life-balance, mentoring, data management, responsible authorship, and questionable research practices from the perspective of researchers and administrators.  The video is an interactive movie that allows viewers to make ethical and life decisions as one of four characters.  The outcome of the video is determined by the decisions, good or bad, made by the learner.  To review and participate in "The Lab" click the following link: [https://ori.hhs.gov/thelab].

Tulane University, through its subscription with Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (“CITI training”), offers web-based training in following areas:

  • Responsible Conduct in Research
  • Responsible Conduct in Use of Human Subjects in Research
  • Laboratory Animal Welfare
  • Good Clinical Practices ("GCP")

CITI training is available to all members of the Tulane University community (students, faculty, and staff).  

Certification of RCR training via CITI training is valid for a period of three years. An individual must take CITI’s refresher course prior to the expiration of the three years in order to maintain his or her RCR training certification. 

All investigators must have a current CITI training certification in Responsible Conduct in Use of Human Subjects in Research prior to receiving an approval by any of the University’s Institutional Review Boards to perform research using human subjects.  For the IRB CITI Guidance on what modules to take click here.  For additional IRB Guidance click here.

Registration Instructions:  Log on to the CITI training at https://www.citiprogram.org.  Once on the CITI website, a new user can register for a username and password.  Once registered and logged in, click on the “new users” section and answer the questions. 

The RCO is responsible for fielding questions, comments, and suggestions from the university research community regarding CITI training.  Please contact the Research Compliance Office if you have any questions regarding the program or the courses at 504.988.1147 or researchcompliance@tulane.edu.

RCR Seminar Series

Responsible Conduct of Research Seminar Series (INTD-6010-01, CRN 61437):  Each year, the Office of Research Compliance shall coordinate a seminar series led by faculty members covering RCR topics.  The next RCR seminar series will occur in the Fall 2024 semester. Training seminar topics will include:

  • undue foreign governmental influence on research and export controls
  • use of live vertebrate animals in research
  • research misconduct and its impact on careers and science
  • responsible authorship and publication
  • data acquisition management, sharing, and ownership
  • enhancing reproducibility through rigor and transparency: NIH expectations
  • LabArchives, secure data use, collaborative research

Additionally, the RCO shall be available to coordinate further RCR seminars as requested by the research community and to answer questions regarding research processes at Tulane.  Please contact the office at 504.988.1147 or researchcompliance@tulane.edu to request seminars or submit questions.

MSCR 6430 "Topics in Clinical Research" is a for-credit course covering responsible conduct of research in conducting clinical trials offered in the summer of each year.  Topics include ethics, investigator responsibilities, and compliance. To register for the course or for more information, contact DeNean LaRoche at 504.988.6061 or dlaroch1@tulane.edu.

National Science Foundation RCR Training Requirements

National Science Foundation ("NSF") Responsible Conduct in Research ("RCR") Training Requirements: Effective January 4, 2010, NSF requires that, at the time of proposal submission to NSF, a proposing institution's Authorized Organizational Representative certify that the institution has a plan to provide appropriate training and oversight in RCR to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers whose research will be supported by NSF.  Training plans are not required to be included in proposals submitted to NSF but must be made available to NSF upon request. See the NSF regulation at https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf10_1/aag_4.jsp#IVB.

All Tulane University undergraduate, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers receiving NSF funds (salary/stipends) or NSF scholarship/stipend support to engage in research or if conducting research is included in their academic program that is receiving NSF support, are required to take the RCR training if the NSF grant proposal was submitted on or after January 4, 2010. The NSF RCR training requirements can be fulfilled by:

  • Completing CITI RCR training; or
  • Completing (by receiving a grade of “Satisfactory”) the Tulane RCR Seminar Series.

Past RCR Presentations (2018 to present)

These presentations are for reference only. To receive credit for RCR training required by granting agencies, please contact the Research Compliance Office.

2024 Presentations (will be posted at conclusion of the fall semester)

  • 10-24-24 Undue Foreign Governmental Influence On Research and Export Controls
  • 10-17-24 LabArchives/Secure Data Use/Collaborative Research
  • 10-10-24 Data acquisition, Analysis, Management, Sharing, Ownership, Recordkeeping, Ethical Data Use/Confidentiality
  • 09-26-24 Research Misconduct and Its Impact On Careers and Science
  • 09-19-24 Enhancing Reproducibility Through Rigor and Transparency: NIH Expectations
  • 09-12-24 Responsible Authorship and Publications
  • 09-05-24 Responsible Use of Animals in Research
  • 08-29-24 Peer Review
  • 08-22-24 Societal Impacts of Research

2023 Presentations

2022 Presentations

  • 10-20-22 - LabArchives/Secure Data Use/Collaborative Research   Slides    Video
  • 10-13-22 - Data Acquisition and Analysis, Management, Sharing, Ownership and Recordkeeping, Including Ethical Data Use/Confidentiality    Slides    Video
  • 09-29-22 - Research Misconduct and its Impact on Careers and Science   Slides    Video
  • 09-22-22 - Enhancing Reproducibility Through Rigor and Transparency: NIH Expectations     Slides    Video
  • 09-15-22 - Responsible Authorship and Publications    Slides    Video
  • 09-08-22 - Use of Live Vertebrate Animals in Research    Slides    Video
  • 09-01-22 - Undue Foreign Governmental Influence on Research and Export Controls    Slides    Video
  • 08-25-22 - Safe Research Environments/Inclusion    Slides    Video

2021 Presentations

2020 Presentations

2019 Presentations

2018 Presentations

Drug Enforcement Agency Training, HHS Guidance, and past RCR Presentations (2017 and older)

Drug Enforcement Agency Training

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services guidance on preventing and identifying research misconduct.

11-30-17 Responsible Conduct in Research - Fall 2017 - Mentor/Mentee relationships

11-16-17 Responsible Conduct in Research - Fall 2017 - Peer Review

11-09-17 Responsible Conduct in Research - Fall 2017 - Use of human subjects in research

11-02-17 Responsible Conduct in Research - Fall 2017 - Responsible authorship and publication

10-26-17 Responsible Conduct in Research - Fall 2017 - Research Misconduct

10-19-17 Responsible Conduct in Research - Fall 2017 - Data Acquisition, Ownership, Management, and Sharing

10-5-17 Responsible Conduct in Research - Fall 2017 - Use of Animals in Research Power Point

11-02-16 Responsible Conduct in Research & Rigor and Transparency Fall 2016- NIH Expectations of Investigators Presentation document

10-26-16 Responsible Conduct in Research & Rigor and Transparency Fall 2016 - Responsible Authorship and Publications Presentation document

10-21-16 ClinicalTrials.gov at Tulane - How Does it Affect Me and What Do I Need to Know

10-19-16 Responsible Conduct in Research & Rigor and Transparency Fall 2016 - The Scientist as a responsible member of society presentation document

10-12-16 Responsible Conduct in Research & Rigor and Transparency Fall 2016 - Use of human subjects in research presentation document

10-05-16 Responsible Conduct in Research & Rigor and Transparency Fall 2016 - Mentor/Mentee Responsibilities and Relationships Presentation Document

09-28-16 Responsible Conduct in Research & Rigor and Transparency Fall 2016 - Research Misconduct Presentation Document

09-21-16 Responsible Conduct in Research & Rigor and Transparency Fall 2016 - Data Acquisition, Management, Sharing, and Ownership Presentation

09-14-16 Responsible Conduct in Research & Rigor and Transparency Fall 2016 Seminar - Use of Animals in Research Presentation Document

09-08-16 Responsible Conduct in Research & Rigor and Transparency Fall 2016 Seminar - Conflicts of Interest Presentation Documents

05-05-16 Rigor And Transparency - NIH Expectations of PIs and Grant Proposal Requirements

09-28-15 Research Oversight at Tulane University - New Research Faculty Orientation

04-15-15 Responsible Authorship and Publications

04-08-15 Data Acquisition, Ownership, Management, and Sharing

03-25-15 Science and Society - The Scientist as a Responsible Member of Society

03-18-15 Use of Human Subjects in Research

03-11-15 Conflicts of Interest

03-04-15 Peer Review

02-23-15 Research Oversight at Tulane University

09-05-14 Research Oversight at Tulane University

10-31-13 Data Acquisition, Management, Sharing and Ownership

10-24-13 Deadly Medicine

10-17-13 Responsible Authorship and Publication

09-26-13 Use of Animals in Research

09-19-13 Safe Laboratory Practices

09-05-13 Introduction to Conducting Sponsored Research

07-23-13 Human Subject Research Compliance

06-12-13 Research Oversight at Tulane University

10/25/12 RCR Presentation - Research Misconduct

10/18/12 RCR Presentation - Mentor/Mentee Responsibilities and Relationships

10/04/12 RCR Presentation - Conflicts of Interest

09/20/12 RCR Presentation - Use of animals in research

09/13/12 RCR Presentation - Responsible authorship and publication

09-06-12 RCR Presentation - Data acquisition and laboratory tools; management, sharing and ownership

05-11-12 RCR Presentation - Investigator Responsibilities in Human Subjects Research

04-18-12 RCR Presentation - Oral Histories and Human Subjects Research Protection Requirements

11-04-11 RCR Presentation - Use of Human Subjects in Research

10-27-11 RCR Presentation - Research Misconduct

10-20-11 RCR Presentation - Data Acquisition, Ownership, Management, and Sharing

09-29-11 RCR Presentation - Science and Society - The Scientist as a Responsible Member of Society

09-22-11 RCR Presentation - Responsible Authorship and Publication

09-15-11 RCR Presentation - Use of Animals in Research

09-08-11 RCR Presentation - Safe Laboratory Practices- by Dr. Jill Daniel and Dr. Lucia Freytag (.pdf)

09-01-11 RCR Presentation - Peer review

06-13-11 RCR Presentation on Use of Human Subjects in Research

05-13-11 RCR Presentation on IACUC Processes

05-13-11 RCR Presentation on IACUC Compliance and Research

03-10-11 RCR Presentation on Collaborative Human Subject Research

10-27-10 RCR Presentation - Peer review (.pdf)

10-20-10 RCR Presentation - Data Acquisition, Ownership, Management, and Sharing (.pdf)

10-06-10 RCR Presentation - Mentor/Mentee responsibilities and relationships (.pdf)

09-29-10 RCR Presentation - Safe Laboratory Practices by Dr. Lucia Freytag and Dr. Jill Daniel (.pdf)

09-22-10 RCR Presentation - The scientist as a responsible member of society, contemporary ethical issues in biomedical research, and the environmental and social impacts of scientific research (.pdf)

09-15-10 RCR Presentation - Collaborative Research (.pdf)

09-08-10 RCR Presentation - Responsible authorship and publication presented by Dr. Buekens (.pdf)

09-01-10 RCR Presentation - Use of Animals in Research by presented Dr. Blanchard (.pdf)

04-29-10 RCR Presentation - Use of Animals in Research (.pdf)

04-06-10 RCR Presentation - Use of Human Subjects in Research (.pdf)

04-06-10 RCR Presentation - Use of Human Subjects in Research (PowerPoint)

01-26-10 Presentation on Responsible Conduct in Research and Research Misconduct

11-17-09 Presentation on Responsible Conduct in Research and Research Misconduct

10-13-09 Presentation on Responsible Conduct in Research and Research Misconduct