Effective Jan. 4, 2010, the National Science Foundation (NSF) mandated that all postdoctoral researchers, undergraduate and graduate students supported by NSF to conduct research must receive appropriate training and oversight in the ethical and responsible conduct of research (RCR). In Fall 2022, NSF amended this requirement, requiring faculty and other senior personnel complete such training effective with proposals submitted to NSF on or after 7/31/2023, and adding that all the above listed personnel complete mentorship training (see below).
NSF Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research Website
The University of New Hampshire (UNH) has adopted the following plan to fulfill the NSF requirement.
View Responsible Conduct of Research Knowledge Base
The Knowledge Base contains forms, instruction and training material, policies, guidance, tools, and other resources to support your research efforts by topic area.
RCR Training Program
Program 1a: Completion of a web-based RCR course, followed by
Program 1b: Participation in a ½-day seminar. Seminars are offered three times a year (early in the Fall semester, early in the Spring semester, and early May). See the RCR Training at UNH webpage for information on an upcoming seminar.
Program 1a: Completion of a web-based RCR course, followed by
Program 1b: Participation in a ½-day seminar. Seminars are offered three times a year (early in the Fall semester, early in the Spring semester, and early May). See the RCR Training at UNH webpage for information on an upcoming seminar.
Program 2: Completion of GRAD 930: Ethics in Research and Scholarship (any student who has taken GRAD 930 is grandfathered).
Program 1a: Completion of a web-based RCR course, followed by
Program 1b: Participation in a ½-day seminar. Seminars are offered three times a year (early in the Fall semester, early in the Spring semester, and early May). See the RCR Training at UNH webpage for information on an upcoming seminar.
Program 2: Completion of GRAD 930: Ethics in Research and Scholarship (any student who has taken GRAD 930 is grandfathered).
Program 3: Completion of the UNH doctoral RCR training. This training is a UNH Graduate School requirement for all new doctoral students.
Program 1a: Completion of a web-based RCR course, followed by
Program 1b: Participation in a ½-day seminar. Seminars are offered three times a year (early in the Fall semester, early in the Spring semester, and early May). See the RCR Training at UNH webpage for information on an upcoming seminar.
Program 2: Completion of GRAD 930: Ethics in Research and Scholarship (any person who has taken GRAD 930 is grandfathered).
Program 1a: Completion of a web-based RCR course.
Program 2: Completion of GRAD 930: Ethics in Research and Scholarship (any person who has taken GRAD 930 is grandfathered).
RCR Training Timeframe
- Ordinarily, training will be initiated within six weeks of an individual’s first day of employment on a grant, and will be completed within the first six months of employment on that grant or prior to the end of an individual’s employment on that grant, whichever comes first. Exceptions to this timeframe requirement may be approved on a case-by-case basis by the Chair of the Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarly Activity (RCR) Committee.
- Postdoctoral researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students enrolled at UNH and hired on a temporary basis to conduct research on an eligible NSF grant and whose employment on the grant ends before one of the triannual trainings must complete the web-based RCR course by the end of their employment on the grant.
- Postdoctoral researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students not enrolled at UNH who are hired at UNH on a temporary basis to conduct research on an eligible NSF grant and whose employment on the grant ends before one of the triannual trainings may complete their home institution's RCR training prior to arriving at UNH, and provide documentation to their UNH PI/PD.
Individuals must register for the next offering of GRAD 930 available after their first day of employment on a grant, and complete the course with a passing grade (course is pass/fail).
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Individuals must comply with the UNH Graduate School requirements.
General
- Individuals transferring to UNH from another institution and supported by NSF funds must complete UNH’s RCR training and the mentorship training within the required timeframe, even if they have completed similar training at another institution.
- Individuals need to only complete UNH’s RCR training once, even if they work on multiple NSF-funded projects at UNH.
- The requirement flows down to subrecipients. All subrecipients will be required to provide written assurance that they are in compliance with the NSF requirement.
Principal Investigators'/Project Directors' Responsibilities
Principal Investigators (PIs) and Project Directors (PDs) are responsible for:
- Determining if individuals are being supported on an applicable NSF-funded project to conduct research and if so, ensuring that the applicable personnel under their supervision comply with the NSF RCR training and mentorship training requirement; and,
- Providing appropriate oversight in the ethical and responsible conduct of research for postdoctoral researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students supported by NSF to conduct research.
Questions
For questions about this requirement or the trainings, please contact Julie Simpson, (603) 862-2003, in Research Integrity Services.
UNH's RCR Training Plan
Each institution applying for NSF funds must have in place a plan to provide the training and oversight. The above is UNH's plan. While these plans should not be included in each proposal submitted to NSF from an institution, they are subject to review upon request by NSF.
