RCR CITI Training
Training and education in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is an essential aspect of Rice’s commitment to maintain the highest standards for research integrity, and as such, it is considered an integral aspect of graduate education.
As a member of the Rice University community, all graduate students (including all professional Master’s students with the exception of MBA and MLS) are required to complete the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Responsible Conduct of Research online course by October 1st for students starting the fall semester, and by February 15th for students starting in the spring semester. For more information regarding training requirements for graduate students visit: https://graduate.rice.edu/training.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) require all undergraduate, graduate,and postdoctoral researchers, and any other key personnel participating in the sponsored research projects to complete an approved course in the responsible conduct of research. Although these agencies do not require principal investigators (PIs) to complete RCR training, they strongly encourage taking this training. For more information required RCR requirements visit: https://research.rice.edu/integrity/rcr.
Additionally, the research compliance committees of Rice (including the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), and the Stem Cell Research Oversight (SCRO) Committee) have the authority to impose additional training requirements, including the requirement of specific RCR training course.
Step 1: Determine CITI course by discipline
The CITI online training contains Responsible Conduct of Research courses that are customized to various disciplines. The disciplines are listed below along with the Rice schools to help determine which course students should take.
| RICE SCHOOL | CITI COURSE TO TAKE |
|---|---|
| School of Social Science | Social and Behavioral |
| Weiss School of Natural Science | Physical Sciences |
| Brown School of Engineering | RCR for Engineers |
| School of Architecture | Humanities |
| School of Humanities | Humanities |
| Shepherd School of Music | Humanities |
| Glasscock School of Continuing Studies | Humanities |
| Jones Graduate School of Business | Humanities |
| RCR for Administrators | Department Administrators and Coordinators |
Step 2: CITI Registration and Course Completion
Each course is comprised of several modules. You may self-enroll for the online training through Canvas Catalog at https://catalog.rice.edu/browse/sparc/courses/citi-program. Review of the required materials and completion of the quizzes will take about 30-35 minutes per module. You do not have to complete the course all in one session. A cumulative score of 80% is required to pass.
Have Questions?
If you are not sure whether you are required to take the RCR training, e-mail Romel Walker rw68@rice.edu for the Office Research Integrity (ORI). Your department or school may have additional training requirements.
If you are having difficulty with the CITI training course, technical support is available at citisupport@med.miami.edu or 305-243-7970 (8am-5pm Eastern).