Research Integrity & Assurance
Responsible Conduct of Research
Supporting ethical and responsible research at George Mason University.
About RCR
The responsible conduct of research (RCR) training program is one part of the education and outreach activities of George Mason University’s Office of Research Integrity and Assurance. The goal of this training is to increase the knowledge and practice of ethical and responsible research while complying with federal requirements.
This resource has moved to the Research Misconduct page .
GMU RCR Training
George Mason University has developed a training plan to implement NSF and NIH requirements. ORIA facilitates an 8-hour, face-to-face, faculty-led course in the responsible conduct of research, available for all trainees and required for certain NIH awards (see Notice NOT-OD-10-019 and updates NOT-OD-22-055 and NOT-OD-21-152).
The training is interactive and includes lectures, case studies, and scenarios discussed by participants. The course is required at each career stage and at least once every four years.
Topics covered include societal impacts of scientific research; responsible authorship; safe research environments; conflict of interest and commitment; research misconduct; data acquisition, analysis, management, sharing, and ownership; secure and ethical data use; responsible peer review; collaborative research; and mentor/mentee relationships.
Trainees receive a certificate of participation upon completion of the training program.
CITI Program
ORIA also offers an online training program for faculty, staff, and students through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI).
The program provides a comprehensive basic course in Responsible Conduct of Research. It may also be used by instructors as a supplement to classroom instruction in research methods.
Most CITI RCR course materials are in the public domain and were developed through the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Research Integrity (ORI) RCR Resource Development Contract program. Course development was funded in part by ORI. Some case studies are used with permission from Online Ethics .
How to Register and Access CITI RCR Training
Select the appropriate option below for registration and access instructions.
New User Instructions
Visit www.citiprogram.org and select New Users Register Here.
On the CITI Registration Page
- Select your institution or organization.
- Under Participating Institutions, select George Mason University from the dropdown menu.
- Create a username and password of at least 8 characters.
- Create a security question and answer.
- Enter your name as it should appear on your certificate.
- Enter your email address.
- Enter your gender, ethnicity, and race.
- CME/CEU credits are not required by GMU.
- Complete the Course Survey question.
- Click Submit when complete.
On the Next Registration Page
- Complete the personal information fields. Only fields marked with red asterisks are required.
- Click Submit when complete.
On the Select Curriculum Pages
- Select I am interested in the Responsible Conduct of Research Courses and click Next.
- If you have other affiliations and want to select multiple institutions, click Yes. To select only George Mason University, click No.
Accessing and Completing the Course
After completing registration, you will be logged in and registered for the course. You can begin the RCR course under My Courses or log out and return later.
When returning to CITI, use your existing username and password. You do not need to register again.
Complete the required modules and quizzes. You can retake a quiz by selecting View this module again on the Quiz Review page, followed by Take the quiz.
To select another module, choose Go to the gradebook for this course .
Existing CITI User Instructions
Existing CITI users should log in using their current CITI account and access the Responsible Conduct of Research course from their account.
Visit CITI Program to log in.
Additional ORIA Training
Additional training on responsible research techniques may be required depending on the type of research, materials, equipment, or activities involved.
Human Subjects Research
All individuals, whether funded or not, who wish to conduct research with humans must complete the CITI Human Subjects Protection course before beginning human subjects research.
For more information, see Human Subjects Education & Training .
Research with Animals
All individuals, whether funded or not, who wish to conduct research involving vertebrate animals must complete the CITI Animal Care and Use course and animal and vivarium safety training before initiating research.
For more information, see Animal Care and Use Training Procedures .
Laboratory Safety Training
Laboratory safety training is provided by George Mason’s Office of Risk, Safety, & Resilience. Visit the RSR Training Website or contact Environmental Health & Safety at 703-993-8448 for more information.
Laboratory Safety Orientation
All individuals, whether funded or not, who work in laboratories with chemicals must complete Laboratory Safety Orientation Training.
Bloodborne Pathogens
Individuals working with human blood or other potentially infectious materials must complete Bloodborne Pathogens training.
Biological Safety
Individuals working with infectious materials must complete Biological Safety for BSL-2 Laboratories training.
Specialized Equipment and Materials
Individuals working with specialized equipment or laboratory materials, such as radioisotopes, must complete additional training as required.