Responsible Conduct of Research

I. Policy Summary

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training is expected of all faculty, students, staff and external collaborators engaged in research activities. NJIT relies on the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) to provide this training to the NJIT community. CITI records and system administration is managed by the assistant director for research compliance and integrity in the Office of Research.

II. Policy Purpose
All members of the NJIT community are expected to follow the Code of Ethics as adopted by the State of New Jersey. Projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)/U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have specific requirements regarding training in RCR. Additionally, all members of the NJIT community engaged in research are expected to always conduct their research with integrity and intellectual honesty. To facilitate these expectations, faculty, students, and staff are expected to engage in RCR training.

III. Policy Scope and Applicability
This policy is in effect for all units of NJIT and applies to all sponsored programs.

IV. Definitions
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is defined as the practice of scientific investigation with integrity. It involves the awareness and application of established professional norms and ethical principles in the performance of all activities related to scientific research.

V. Policy Statement
Federal requirements require RCR training for scholars funded by NSF, USDA and NIH. All NJIT researchers working on projects funded by these sponsors must complete all RCR requirements as delineated by each sponsor. Faculty and research personnel associated with research grants and contracts are required to complete RCR training through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program. This requirement must be completed within the first 6 months of support and/or employment and/or participation on the award. All individuals must complete basic training even if supported or employed less than 12 months.

RCR training for graduate students may be achieved by completing the appropriate CITI courses. RCR training for undergraduate students may be achieved by completing the appropriate CITI courses or by completing a professional ethics  course (PHIL 334 or equivalent) with a minimum of “C” grade.

VI. Procedures
Current procedures and requirements for completing RCR training can be found at the Office of Research website. Specific RCR training requirements will vary by discipline and project. Questions concerning what training any individual is required to complete should be directed to the assistant director for research compliance.

VII. Roles & Responsibilities
The assistant director for research compliance is charged with maintaining accurate records of RCR training for the NJIT community. On a semesterly basis, the assistant director will furnish to the associate vice provost for graduate studies a list of all graduate students indicating their training status. On a semesterly basis, the assistant director will alert all faculty and research staff whose training is set to expire. On a semesterly basis, the assistant director will furnish to the executive director, sponsored research programs administration a list of all faculty and research staff whose training has expired. It is the responsibility of the executive director to follow up with appropriate chairs and deans to alert them of the faculty and staff in their departments whose training has expired. Faculty and staff with expired training are not eligible to submit proposals for sponsored projects nor protocols for compliance oversight (IRB, IBC, IACUC) until the training has been updated.

VIII. Authority and Responsibility
The Office of Research has institutional authority for the matters addressed in this policy. Questions related to this policy are to be directed to the executive director, sponsored research programs administration.

Related Policies and Regulations
Policy on Integrity in Scholarship