Division of Research

NIH RCR Plan

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NIH RCR Plan

Principal investigators (PIs) must develop a discipline-specific, tailored plan for Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) instruction that meets the National Institutes of Health (NIH) requirements for educational content, training format and frequency.

The instructional plan, which should be no more than one page unless otherwise instructed, is evaluated as a component of the NIH funding proposal. Applications without an RCR instructional plan may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.

The RCR instructional plan must include coursework with significant face-to-face interaction and involve participation by research faculty members. Brown University administers several RCR education programs that fulfill the NIH requirement and provides course-specific templates to assist with completing the RCR portion of a grant application.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training

Brown offers several options for Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training, which is a requirement for certain federal grants and fellowship awards.

RCR Training Courses

Responsibility for RCR Completion

The Office of Research Integrity will maintain completion records centrally and send informational and reminder notifications regarding NIH RCR training requirements. However, the PI is the responsible party for informing trainees, fellows and scholars on qualifying NIH awards of this important requirement and reminding them to retain their own training completion records. 

The PI also must comply with specific reporting requirements in continuation applications.

NIH Programs Requiring RCR Instruction

These NIH programs have an RCR requirement; PIs must attach an RCR plan to their proposal unless otherwise noted in the funding opportunity announcement.

D43, D71, T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T90/R90, TL1, TU2, U2R

The RCR plan is required for all training grant activity codes except T36, unless otherwise noted in the funding opportunity announcement. Applications lacking an RCR plan will not be reviewed.

F05, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F37, F38

The RCR plan is required for all individual fellowship awards; senior fellows may fulfill the requirement for instruction in RCR by participating as lecturers and discussion leaders.

K01, K02, K05, K07, K08, K12, K18, K22, K23, K24, K25, K26, K30, K99/R00, KL1, KL2

Mentored Career Development Award applications should describe a plan to acquire RCR instruction. Nonmentored (independent) applications should describe a plan to obtain or provide RCR instruction, depending on the applicant’s level of experience with RCR.

Attach a description of plans for obtaining or providing RCR instruction (e.g., to participate as a course lecturer). The RCR plan must address the five required instructional components outlined in the NIH Policy.

The RCR plan may include career stage-appropriate individualized instruction or independent scholarly activities. Instruction and activities should enhance the applicant’s understanding of ethical issues related to their specific research activities and the societal impact of that research. The role of the mentor in RCR instruction must be described.

Each RCR plan should also document prior instruction or participation in RCR training during the applicant’s current career stage (including the date instruction was last completed).

For Career Development Award renewal applications: Describe the RCR instruction activities undertaken during the previous project period as well as future plans for RCR instruction.

R25, R36

Required Elements of an RCR Plan

The NIH requires that each RCR plan address the five required instructional components outlined in the NIH Policy on Instruction in RCR, as more fully described in Section 11.3.3.5 of the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

  • Format: Describe the required format of instruction, i.e., face-to-face lectures, coursework, and/or real-time discussion groups. A plan with only online instruction is not acceptable.
  • Subject Matter: Describe the breadth of subject matter, e.g., conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research misconduct, and research ethics.
  • Faculty Participation: Describe the roles of mentor(s) and other faculty involvement in the instruction. The RCR plan must also describe how participation in RCR instruction will be monitored.
  • Duration of Instruction: Describe the total number of contact hours of instruction.
  • Frequency of Instruction: Instruction must occur during each career stage and at least once every four years. Document any prior instruction during the applicant's current career stage, including the inclusive dates instruction was last completed.

Including an RCR Plan in an NIH Renewal Application

When submitting renewal applications, describe any changes in formal instruction over the past project period and plans for the future that address any weaknesses in the current RCR instruction. All training faculty who served as course directors, speakers, lecturers and/or discussion leaders during the past project period must be named in the application.