Responsible Conduct in Research Training

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 web site, 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 Kay Leger in the Research Compliance Office if you have any questions regarding the program or the courses at 504.988.1147 or researchcompliance@tulane.edu.

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 shall include:

conflict of interest - personal, professional, and financial
policies regarding human subjects, live vertebrate animal subjects in research, and safe laboratory practices
mentor/mentee responsibilities and relationships
collaborative research including collaborations with industry
peer review
data acquisition and laboratory tools; management, sharing and ownership
research misconduct and policies for handling misconduct
responsible authorship and publication
the scientist as a responsible member of society, contemporary ethical issues in biomedical research, and the environmental and societal impacts of scientific 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 ("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.

In order to comply with the NSF's RCR training requirements, all undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers applying for research support from NSF must complete CITI training in RCR or attend an RCR seminar on a yearly basis.

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