Template RCR Plans for Grants

General Requirements for NIH Grant Applications

General Requirements for NSF Applications

Templates for use in grant applications

General Requirements for NIH Grant Applications

  1. Who must complete the "Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research" attachment (“the RCR plan”)?

The following programs have a Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement and must attach the RCR plan, unless otherwise noted in the FOA: 

  • Institutional Training Programs: D43, D71, T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T90/R90, TL1, TU2, U2R; 
  • Individual Fellowship Award Programs: F05, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F37, F38,
  • Research Career Development Awards: K01, K02, K05, K07, K08, K12, K18, K22, K23, K24, K25, K26, K30, K99/R00, KL1, KL2
  • Education Projects: R25, R36
  1. What is the page limit for the plan?

Unless otherwise noted in the FOA, the page limit for the “Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research” is one page.

  1. What are the required elements to be included in the “Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research?”

NIH requires that your RCR plan address the five required instructional components outlined in the NIH Policy on Instruction in RCR, as more fully described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, Section 11.3.3.5: Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research:

  • Format: Describe the required format of instruction, i.e., face-to-face lectures, coursework, and/or real-time discussion groups. A plan with only on-line 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.
  • 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.

The RCR plan must also describe how participation in RCR instruction will be monitored.

  1. What do I include in Renewal Applications?

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.

  1. Are there any additional requirements specific to certain grant mechanisms?

For Ts: The RCR plan, as described under #3 above, is required for all training grant activity codes except T36, unless otherwise noted in the FOA. Applications lacking a Plan for Instruction in RCR will not be reviewed.

For Fs: The RCR plan, as described under #3 above, is required for all individual fellowship awards.  However, note that “senior fellows may fulfill the requirement for instruction in RCR by participating as lecturers and discussion leaders.”

For Ks:

  • Mentored CDA applications should describe a plan to acquire instruction in the responsible conduct of research (RCR).
  • Non-mentored (independent) CDA applications should describe a plan to obtain or provide instruction in RCR, depending on your level of experience with RCR.

Attach a description of plans for obtaining or providing instruction in RCR (e.g., to participate as a course lecturer). The RCR plan must address the five required instructional components outlined in the NIH Policy on Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), as described under #3 above.

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.

Your 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 K Renewal Applications: Describe the RCR instruction activities undertaken during the previous project period as well as future plans for RCR instruction.

  1. Do you provide RCR plan templates for use in grant applications?

Brown University administers several face-to-face courses of instruction in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) that fulfill the NIH requirement set forth in Notice Number NOT-OD-10-019. These are:

  • The Division of Biology and Medicine Fall RCR Training Sequence (the “BioMed RCR Training”), organized by the Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
  • Brown University School of Public Health RCR Training Course, organized by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Public Health.
  • The Brown Ethics And Responsible Conduct Of Research (BEARCORE) program, organized by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR).

All three training courses are in-person courses administered over the course of several weeks in multiple two-hour weekly sessions.

There are templates, one for each RCR course listed above, that can be used for NIH and NSF grant applications. The templates describe each RCR program currently offered at Brown, and address the five required instructional components outlined in the NIH Policy on Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR).

Important! Templates can be modified and should be augmented, if necessary, with applicant-specific information. For example, the section “Frequency of Instruction” requires documentation of prior instructions received by the applicant, including dates when instruction was completed. K-award applications also require a more detailed description of how RCR instruction will be obtained or provided, depending on the applicant’s level of experience with RCR. This may also include a list of career stage-appropriate individualized instruction or independent scholarly activities.

If you have questions about the use of the templates, please contact us.

General Requirements for NSF Applications

  1. Do I have to complete a "Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research" attachment (“the RCR training plan”) and include it in the NSF application?

NSF requires that an “RCR training plan” must be in place at the time of proposal submission. However, unless specifically requested in the solicitation, NSF does not generally require that the RCR plan is submitted or described in the application.

  1. Does Brown have an “RCR training plan” in place?

Yes. Brown University administers several face-to-face courses of instruction in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) that fulfill NSF requirements. The most relevant to NSF funded students and trainees is the Brown Ethics And Responsible Conduct Of Research (BEARCORE) program, administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR). Other option are the Division of Biology and Medicine Fall RCR Training Sequence (the “BioMed RCR Training”), administered by the Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and the Brown University School of Public Health RCR Training Course, administered by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Public Health. The latter two are tailored toward trainees in biomedical and public health research fields.

All three RCR training courses are in-person courses administered over the course of several weeks in multiple two-hour weekly sessions.

  • Click here for a more detailed description about the BEARCORE course.
  • Click here for a more detailed description about the BioMed RCR Training.
  • For more information on the SPH RCR Training course please contact Barbara Dailey, Academic Affairs Coordinator, School of Public Health.
  1. What grants do the NSF RCR training requirements apply to?

The NSF RCR training requirement applies to new proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 4, 2010, to conduct research, which excludes, for example, conference, symposium, workshop, or travel proposals.