Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Overview of RCR at Boston University

The Boston University RCR Program provides instruction in responsible conduct of research to students and postdoctoral researchers in the sciences and engineering. The program is provided in accordance with the BU RCR Plan and in consultation with the Responsible Conduct of Research Advisory Board (RCREAC) and in partnership with faculty research mentors across the Charles River and Medical Campus. The Office of Research Compliance (ORC) organizes and supports the RCR program. The program is open to all students and postdoctoral researchers in the sciences (physical, biological, social, behavioral) and engineering.

RCR instruction is provided at three levels: Introductory RCR for undergraduates, Intermediate RCR for master’s degree candidates and Advanced RCR for doctoral degree candidates and postdoctoral researchers. All three levels of RCR instruction address, in greater or less detail, all of the RCR topics (see below). Introductory and Intermediate RCR are solely online programs. Advanced RCR includes an online module and four live discussion workshops.

Since 2004, over 400 faculty mentors, from departments and centers as diverse as economics, bioinformatics, medicine, astronomy, applied linguistics, computer sciences, earth sciences, physical therapy, and many others, have been oriented and credited with service as discussion facilitators in Advanced RCR. Small group discussions focus on case studies that are set in diverse fields and raise issues of research ethics and responsibility applicable across the sciences and engineering. A few academic departments have created Alternative RCR Programs. Certificates of Completion are earned by participants and issued by the Office of Research Compliance.

For coverage in BU Today see:

BU Today Article on RCR

RCR Instruction Topics

Today’s research environment presents increasingly complex ethical and regulatory issues. As a result, many research sponsors and scientific organizations now consider that formal instruction in the responsible conduct of research is an essential component of research training in the sciences.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) instruction, as defined by federal agencies and by various scientific societies, cover the following content areas:

Core Areas of BU RCR Program:

  • Mentor/Trainee Responsibilities
  • Data Acquisition, Management, Sharing, and Ownership
  • Publication Practices and Responsible Authorship
  • Peer Review
  • Collaborative Science
  • Research Ethics and the Role of the Scientist
  • Research Misconduct
  • Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment

Tangential areas of BU RCR Program:

  • Human Subjects
  • Animal Welfare
  • Safe Laboratory Practices

Detailed instruction in the last three content areas is required for those engaging in human subjects research, animal research, and laboratory research, and is provided through the Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), Institutional Animal Care & Use Committees (IACUCs), and Institutional Laboratory Safety Program, respectively.  However, RCR instruction programs also touch upon these content areas in a manner appropriate to the audience.

RCR Compliance Requirements

There is a trend of increasing congressional and agency mandates that federally sponsored research programs must incorporate instruction in responsible conduct of research . RCR instruction is currently required by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under applicable regulations for students and postdoctoral researchers if they are “Covered Individuals” on “Covered Awards”