RCR for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers
Those doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers who have an RCR compliance requirement under an NIH training grant or an NSF research grant must complete the RCR-specific CITI training and the 1 credit RCR course (ENG EK 800), within two (2) years of requirement notification. Other doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers may complete at any time. Training must be performed once every four years and at each new career stage.
Step 1. Complete RCR Training through CITI
The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) RCR Training involves three online modules: Authorship, Data Management, and Research Misconduct, and takes 1-2 hours to complete. To enroll in the CITI course:
- Sign up for a CITI Account.
- Affiliate with Boston University (please note that if you affiliate with Boston University Medical Campus through CITI, you will not be able to access the RCR course).
- Select “Add a Course or Update Learner Groups”
- Select “BU RCR Program for Doctoral candidates and Post-Docs: All Audiences” and “Intro to RCR” courses.
Step 2. Register for the RCR course
The RCR course is a 1 credit, non-tuition bearing course (ENG EK 800) open to all PhD students and postdoctoral scholars. This 10-week course will meet once weekly for 60-minute sessions and fulfills the new National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health requirements. The course is taught each semester by BU faculty.
Beginning with the Spring 2026 semester, the RCR course (ENG EK800) will be taught in a condensed format with two sections. Check MyBU for updated course information each fall and spring semester. Fall semester sections are offered on the Charles River Campus, and Spring semester sections are offered on the BU Medical Campus. Topics addressed during this course include:
- Why Do We Train in the Responsible Conduct of Research
- Mentoring and Research
- Peer Review
- Authorship
- Data and Sample Management
- Experimental Design
- Rigor and Reproducibility
- Conflict of Interest and Foreign Influence
- Communicating Science for Societal Impact
- Research Misconduct
Doctoral students and Postdoctoral Associates can register through the MyBU Student Portal by using your BU username and Kerberos password.
