New faculty

New faculty members and others eligible to serve as principal investigators have 12 months from the date of their initial appointment to complete University of Minnesota introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR parts 1 & 2).

If RCR is not completed when you submit a proposal for funding:

• The Electronic Grants Management System (EGMS) sends you an automated reminder
• Reminder will not delay submission of the proposal
• If the proposal is funded, award funds will not be released by Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA)

What to do:

• Email rschtrng@umn.edu, including your name and date of appointment
• We will notify you of your deadline to complete RCR parts 1 & 2
• We will notify SPA to set up the award account
• You commit to completing RCR parts 1 & 2 before the deadline

Postdoctoral fellows

If you have not completed RCR parts 1 & 2 when you submit a proposal for funding, you will receive an email reminder. Submission of your proposal will not be delayed, but awarded funds will not be released until you:

• Email rschtrng@umn.edu and identify yourself as a postdoctoral fellow who is applying for or has received a grant or fellowship
• We will establish a deadline for you to complete RCR parts 1 & 2 — either during the initial budget period of the grant or fellowship, or during the first 12 months of the grant or fellowship, whichever is shorter
• We will contact SPA about setting up your award accounts
• You will commit to completing RCR parts 1 & 2 before your deadline
• Note: other research education requirements usually must be completed before work on your project begins

Graduate students

To be eligible as a principal investigator (PI), graduate students must complete instruction in the responsible conduct of research and scholarship. Graduate programs determine the appropriate curriculum for this instruction. Consult the director of graduate studies to learn the policy for your program.

• If the instruction included in your graduate program is an acceptable equivalent for the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR parts 1 & 2) curriculum, your DGS can email that information to the RCR program.
• If your program requires you to complete RCR parts 1 & 2, you should contact the RCR program, because you will be able to complete these workshops during the period in which you have funding.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) part 1 is offered as an in-person workshop three times per semester.

RCR part 2 is offered as a series of four online workshops, which can be completed in any order. However, all topics must be completed before your training record shows the requirement has been met. Part 2 may be taken before part 1; the courses are not consecutive.

See the right sidebar for a list of ongoing and upcoming RCR courses.

You can generate and print a summary of research educational courses in one of three ways:

1. RCR web reports shows RCR training unit courses. http://egms.umn.edu/rcr/

• Log in to this site by entering your University of Minnesota Internet ID (x.500 username) and password.
• Search by deptID, by individual (Internet ID or x.500 username), or by course.
• Note: updates take 48 hours to process through data warehouse.

2. Online training registration shows all training unit courses (RCR, HIPAA, Organizational Effectiveness, self-reported, etc.). http://hrss.umn.edu/trainingmenu/index.html
For your personal training record only:

• Under “Track your training history” click “Personal training record.”
• Log in by entering your University of Minnesota Internet ID (x.500 username) and password.
• View your current registration and waiting lists and/or your training history.
• Add or drop training courses.
• Self-report any non-university training.

3. HRMS preformatted reports shows all training unit courses (RCR, HIPAA, OE-Training services, etc.). http://www.umreports.umn.edu/

• Log in to this site by entering your University of Minnesota Internet ID (x.500 username) and password.
• Read and agree to the Appropriate Use Agreement.
• In the box next to the “Search reports” button at the top of the page, type “Training history” and hit return. When the results load, click “Training history” to access the report.
• Search by employee or student ID and course status or by designating one or more departments within a college/admin unit and course status.

When Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) receives a notice of award but the proposed principal investigator has not met the requirements for instruction in RCR, the individual is notified by email that an award has been received but is being held. If the proposed principal investigator has worked at the university longer than 12 months, then the individual can request additional time to complete the requirement.

If you have been at the university longer than 12 months and receive an email notifying you of a grant or contract award that is being held because you have not fulfilled the RCR requirements, you can request additional time via the following steps:

• Contact Carol Foth (fothx001@umn.edu or 612-624-1854) to discuss your time extension request.
• Prepare a letter or email requesting time extension, including a statement that you have contacted the RCR Program; an explanation of why you have not completed the courses; and when you will complete them.
• Send the letter or email to your department head. If prepared electronically, an email is sent to the department head, who indicates approval and forwards.
• Send the letter or email for final approval to the associate dean for research of your college, or the senior vice president of a non-collegiate unit. If prepared electronically, the email is forwarded to associate dean for research or Sr. VP, who approves and signs.
• Approved request is submitted to RCR staff, as a letter or forwarded email with all required signatures.
• If request is not approved at any stage of this process, or if additional information is needed, you will be contacted by phone or email.
• Once approved request is received by RCR staff, you will be informed of the decision, and the grant administrator in Sponsored Projects Administration will be notified to proceed with the award process.

Time extension flow chart

Along with the core RCR curriculum, additional instruction in specific topics may be required to be eligible as a principal investigator, including:

Environmental health and safety

The Department of Environmental Health and Safety offers training to meet numerous regulations and to encourage health and safety for all university community members.

Protecting animal subjects

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) offers training to meet federal, state and institutional regulations and to certify the eligibility of university employees who work with animals.

Clinical research methodologies

The Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) offers training to meet the requirements of interdisciplinary CTS faculty, students and research teams at the university. Biomedical clinical researchers can use this course to complete the human subjects protection requirement.

HIPAA training

The Privacy and Security Office offers training on HIPAA regulations and university policies and procedures, with the assistance of the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost. This training focuses on standards to protect the privacy and security of individual health information.

Human subjects protection

Instruction in human subject protection is required for all investigators and research personnel regardless of the source of funding. The basic level of instruction in human subjects protection may be met in one of two ways:

Review the online materials available through the Collaborative IRB Training Initiative (CITI) hosted by the University of Miami Medical School server. After registration, choose either the biomedical research group or the social/behavioral research group and complete the required modules. Return to this page and report your completion via the links below.

Review the online materials for the Introduction to Clinical Research Methodology curriculum. This curriculum is designed for clinical researchers in biomedical fields only. It is not for use by researchers in the social or behavioral sciences. Return to this page and report your completion via the links below.

If you need to describe your training to a funding agency, please use the following description:

Instruction in Human Subjects Protection included the definition of human subjects in research; the responsibilities of the investigator; authority, composition, and procedures of IRBs; ethical principles; risk and benefits; the elements and process of informed consent; how to prepare an application and consent document; inclusion and recruitment of vulnerable populations; adherence to study protocol; and continuing review.

You must report your completion of the instruction either by following one of the links below or by contacting us directly. The links below require an internet login using your University of Minnesota internet ID (X.500).

WARNING! By clicking the links below, you are certifying that you have reviewed the web materials and completed the course. When you click the link, your training record will be automatically updated.

Report completion of CITI biomedical materials

Report completion of CITI social/behavioral materials

Report completion of clinical research methods materials

Once you update your record, it takes 48 hours to process through data warehouse and EGMS.