Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research Education Program

Federal sponsor agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH),i  the National Science Foundation (NSF),ii and the U.S. Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA),iii outline topics for research ethics education. The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has prepared the following list of these Core Topics as part of its Institutional Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Plan, with reference made below to the agency requirement. Also included are Ancillary Topics (shown as italicized text), which are incorporated into the University's comprehensive research ethics education program via presentations and workshops within colleges, schools, and departments.

Questions or Feedback? Contact us at ResearchIntegrity@illinois.edu.

Responsible Conduct of Research graphic

I. Safe Research and Laboratory Practices

  • Human subjects research [NIH: b]
  • Live vertebrate animal subjects [NIH: b]
  • Research safety, including laboratory environmental safety, chemical hygiene, and field work safety [NIH: b]

II. Research Relationships

  • Mentor/mentee responsibilities [NIH: c; NSF]
  • Mentor training [NIH: T32 Training Grants; NSF]
  • Safe research working environments [NIH: d]
  • Collaborative research, including international and industry [NIH: e]
  • Ethical decision making
  • Professional responsibilities to clients and employers

III. Research Practices

  • Research methods and documentation
  • Rigor and reproducibility [NIH - As described at Enhancing Reproducibility through Rigor and Transparency]
  • Laboratory notebooks and records [NIH: g]
  • Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Quality Management and Quality Assurance
  • Approval processes for drugs and biomedical devices
  • Respect for Indigenous and Marginalized Populations

IV. Data Management and Acquisition

  • Research data and information management
  • Data and research integration [USDA]
  • Data ownership, sharing and confidentiality [NIH: h]
  • Appropriate data reduction and statistical analysis
  • Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) Data Management and Stewardship Principles
  • Data privacy (FERPA, HIPAA)

V. Knowledge Dissemination

  • Responsible authorship practices [NIH: j; USDA]
  • Appropriate citation and mitigation of plagiarism [USDA]
  • Ethical peer review [NIH: f]
  • Confidentiality and security of peer review [NIH: f]
  • Open Science
  • Licensing, Copyright, and Fair Use
  • Science Communication

VI. Research Security

  • External adverse research threats
  • Potential security threats [USDA]
  • Export control [NSF]
  • International research disclosure and reporting
  • Importance of International Collaborations
  • Awareness of Potential Security Threats
  • Disclosure of International Collaborations
  • Managing and Mitigating Risks in International Collaborations
  • Cybersecurity Training
  • International Travel
  • Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs
  • Insider Threat Awareness
  • Federal Export Control
  • Research Security Reporting Requirements
  • Scientific integrity
  • Data security
  • Data protection and archive

VII. Transparency of Interests and Affiliations

  • Personal, professional, and financial Conflicts of Interest (COI) [NIH: a]
  • Conflict of commitment, in allocating time, effort, or other research resources [NIH: a]
  • Disclosure of international research affiliations

VIII. Research and Society

  • Societal impacts of research [NIH: k]
  • Environmental impacts of research [NIH: k]
  • Ethical issues in biomedical research [NIH: k]
  • Social Responsibility

IX. Research Integrity Policies and Procedures

  • Institutional research integrity policies [NIH: i]
  • Institutional research misconduct procedures [NIH: i]
  • Reporting of research misconduct concerns [NIH: i; USDA]
  • Whistleblower protections

X. Research Administration

  • Responsible grants management
  • Appropriate use of facilities, equipment, and research materials
  • Allowable expenditures
  • Intellectual property
  • Materials and Data Transfer Agreements

References

i NIH Requirements: Indicated letters after topics correspond to the Instructional Component Recommendations – Subject Matter topics listed within the "FY 2022 Updated Guidance: Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research," NOT-OD-22-055, https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-22-055.html.

ii NSF Requirements: See Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), Chapter IX-B "Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR)", https://www.nsf.gov/policies/pappg.

iii USDA-NIFA Requirements: See "Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research," United States Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture, https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/regulations-and-guidelines/research-misconduct/responsible-ethical-conduct-research.

Version History

2025-05-28 Initial Publication