Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) denotes good citizenship in research conduct. Faculty, students and staff who report their work honestly, accurately, and objectively promote public trust in research and convey the ethics of research to future generations of scholars.

Responsible conduct of research includes most of the professional activities that are part and parcel of research. As defined by federal agencies, RCR encompasses the following nine areas:

  1. Animal Welfare
    2.
  2. Collaborative Research
    3.
  3. Conflict of Interest and Commitment
    4.
  4. Data Management and Acquisition
    5.
  5. Human Subject Research Protections
    6.
  6. Mentoring
    7.
  7. Peer Review
    8.
  8. Responsible Authorship and Publication
    9.
  9. Research Misconduct
    10.

RCR Training Requirements

RCR training is required for all students on NSF grants, as well as some NIH training awards, and PHS traineeships. At USC, each department or school bears responsibility for ensuring that their grant recipients satisfy the terms attached to their funding. NSF funded students are certified by the Office of Compliance (OOC). Additional requirements for RCR training are mandated at the discretion of individual USC departments/schools.

USC RCR Resources

The RCR resources below include links to federal requirements, online ethics courses and other education materials. OPRS offers education sessions on RCR for interested faculty, staff, and students. Contact oprs@usc.edu for more information.

Federal RCR Resources

Other Academic RCR Resources