RCR training focuses on the development of ethical practices in research across the variety of disciplines and domains available at UT Dallas. We aim to provide our next generation of researchers a leading edge, as well as hone the practices of more seasoned researchers.

The level of training required is dependent upon the type of grant or contract funding received, such as National Institutes of Health (NIH) or National Science Foundation (NSF), or by the level of training and experience of the individuals engaged in research at UT Dallas. Additional opportunities beyond the required training are encouraged to promote professional development.

RCR Foundations Training

To earn an RCR Foundations Training certification, undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff must complete the online Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training in the CITI Program. All online training must be completed within 30 days of receiving support from NSF or select NIH grants.

The online Responsible Conduct of Research training module provides researchers and staff access to research ethics training and professional development resources. Courses include interactive, multimedia learning modules designed to provide a foundation for conducting ethical research and working responsibly as scientific citizens. Training can be completed online to satisfy NSF funding requirements or as a complement to our live workshop series, satisfying both NIH and NSF requirements.

RCR On-Line Training Instructions

To complete the RCR training in the CITI Program, create an account using your UTD email address ([YourNetID]@utdallas.edu), select University of Texas at Dallas as your affiliation, and complete the coursework based on your discipline (for example: Responsible Conduct of Research for Engineers).

As a reminder, RCR training is valid for four years from the date of completion.

Please review the CITI Training FAQs for additional information.

RCR Development Series

In order to earn an RCR Development Series certification, students, postdocs, and staff must complete the online RCR Foundations Training and attend the additional eight core workshops. Workshop modules are offered once each in the fall and spring semester. Sessions do not have to be attended in sequential order and can be completed across multiple semesters. All core workshops must be completed in the first 24 months of receiving support from NSF or select NIH grants.

Core Workshops

• Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research
• Designing Your Research
  • Human Subjects Research
  • Intellectual Property
• Conducting Your Research
  • Conflicts of Interest
  • Industry Contracts
• Reporting Your Research
• Responsibilities to Society
• Responsible Conduct of Research Summative

RCR Professional Series

In order to earn an RCR Professional Series certification, students, postdocs and staff, must complete the RCR Foundations Training and RCR Development Series plus two elective seminars.  Elective seminars are presented by prominent University researchers in their fields of expertise.

Elective seminars will be held several times annually and will feature a variety of topics such as:

• Research Ethics – Avoiding the Pitfalls of Research Misconduct
• Mentor and Mentee Responsibilities and Relationships
• Human Subjects in Research
• Data Management and Ownership

Workshop Series and Elective Seminars

The Responsible Conduct of Research workshop series and elective seminars are a blended learning, multi-session series designed to engage the UT Dallas research community in contemporary issues in research ethics and scientific integrity. Workshops will provide instruction commensurate with grant funding requirements for the NIH and NSF.

Ethics Seminars

Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology

The Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology was established in 2009 to help the students and faculty of The University of Texas at Dallas, as well as the surrounding community, to understand, evaluate, and support the improvement of the ethical and cultural influences on and implications of science and technology.

The cornerstone of the Center for Values’ outreach is a public lecture series that brings in leading scholars, authors, and related authorities to investigate topics at the intersection of technology and the humanities. In a cross-disciplinary approach to fostering public intellectualism, an international group of authors, artists, scientists, philosophers, theorists, and engineers engage a diverse audience in thinking about issues such as “Creativity in the Age of Technology” (2009 series), “Exploring Human Enhancement” (2010), “Funded and Forbidden Knowledge: Science, Politics and Cultural Values” (2011), “The Heart of Medicine: Values and Ethics in Health Care” (2012), and Values in the Science and Practice of Medicine” (2013). The speakers further play a role in our academic community by meeting with interested undergraduate and graduate students and with members of courses that are designed in conjunction with the series.

Participation in these seminars may partially fulfill NSF and/or NIH training requirement. Contact the Office of Research and Innovation for details regarding seminars and their applicability to training requirements: (972) 883-4607 or email Arietha Lafayette.

Classroom Courses*

Completion of one of the following courses satisfies NSF/NIH grant funding requirements.

Business Ethics (OBHR4310)

This course examines ethical and socio-political issues and concepts that relate to management in a global business environment. Leaders increasingly need to be aware of potential threats and opportunities in their environments and many issues stem from value and cultural differences that most managers are not trained to resolve.  

Ethics, Culture, and Public Policy (PPPE6329)

This course considers the principal schools of ethical thought in the world’s major cultural traditions and their implications for law and public policy. Topics to be considered include tensions between personal and collective interests, the conflict between democratic and authoritarian theories and systems of law and government, the relation between morality and law, the way law itself differs in different cultural regions, and the ethical role of institutions such as the family, government, business, religion, and interest groups.

Ethics for Professional Accountants (ACCT6335)

Ethical reasoning, integrity, objectivity, independence, and other core values as defined by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants are presented.

*Please check the University catalog for availability. Other courses or courses completed at a different institution may satisfy the requirement. Please contact the Office of Research Integrity and Outreach to determine if you have met previously met NIH or NSF requirements.