Faculty RECR Education
All faculty PIs/co-PIs, Research Associates and Postdoctoral Researchers, Research Assistants and Technicians, and Undergraduate Students supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) grants awarded on or after August 1, 2023, must complete Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) education. Graduate students are already compliant through a program administered by The Graduate School. This requirement addresses new federal mandates from the Chips and Science Act 2022.
Starting May 15, 2024, faculty PIs and co-PIs with new NSF awards must complete the education program within 60 days from the award start. Those with awards starting between August 1, 2023, and May 15, 2024, must complete the program within 60 days of automatic enrollment in the MSU Faculty RECR Program on May 15, 2024.
Additionally, all faculty PIs/co-PIs, Research Associates and Postdoctoral Researchers, Research Assistants and Technicians, and Undergraduate Students supported by United States Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) grants must complete Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) education. Graduate students are already compliant through a program administered by The Graduate School. This requirement has been in place by the funding agency for several years now.
All faculty PIs/co-PIs with active awards as of July 22, 2024 must complete the education program within 60 days from this date, if not already completed. Those with awards starting after July 22, 2024, must complete the program within 60 days of automatic enrollment in the MSU Faculty RECR Program that will occur at the time of award start.
The required training aims to:
- Educate faculty on key research and scholarship topics deemed important by MSU.
- Meet all federal requirements and guidelines for training and RECR education content and frequency.
- Provide up-to-date information on federal policies and key issues of integrity in research, scholarship, and creative activity.
Faculty PIs and co-PIs will be automatically enrolled in the MSU Faculty RECR Program course and must complete the following CITI - Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative modules:
- Introduction to RCR (RCR-Basic) - ID: 17009
- Mentoring and Healthy Research Environments (RCR-Basic) - ID: 20983
- Authorship (RCR-Basic) - ID: 16597
- Plagiarism (RCR-Basic) - ID: 15156
- Data Management (RCR-Basic) - ID: 20896
- Research Misconduct (RCR-Basic) - ID: 16604
All six modules must be completed for course credit, though not necessarily at the same time. Each module takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.
The CITI FAQ page (MSU login required) provides instructions for adding the proper CITI course group and ensuring your completion records are imported into MSU's Ability LMS system.
A record of completion will be documented in the Ability system within a week after completing all course modules. Ability LMS tracks all compliance training and education completion on campus. The Research Integrity Office will monitor faculty compliance with these requirements.
Faculty PIs and co-PIs must also assign their personnel supported on the grant to the appropriate RECR course in the Ability system, including:
- Research Associates and Postdoctoral Researchers
- Research Assistants and Technicians
- Undergraduate Students
Instructions will be provided in the first enrollment email. Faculty can email the following links to their personnel. These links allow individuals to self-enroll in the appropriate training track:
- Research Associates and Postdoctoral Researchers
- Research Assistants and Technicians
- Undergraduate Students (link coming soon)
Additional helpful information can be found on the RECR FAQ page (MSU login required)
Online CITI Training Modules
New Faculty RECR Program (select this in CITI)
- Introduction to RCR (RCR-Basic) - ID: 17009
- Mentoring and Healthy Research Environments (RCR-Basic) - ID: 20983
- Authorship (RCR-Basic) - ID: 16597
- Plagiarism (RCR-Basic) - ID: 15156
- Data Management (RCR-Basic) - ID: 20896
- Research Misconduct (RCR-Basic) - ID: 16604
The approximate time for each module is 30 min.
Access the training modules at CITI
- Login "Through My Organization" using your MSU NetID and password.
- Select "MSU Faculty RECR Program"
Instructor-led Discussion Workshops
In the future, the MSU Faculty RECR Program will include required instructor-led, discussion-based workshops on topics such as:
- Effective Mentoring and Mentor-Mentee Relationships
- Research Misconduct and Detrimental Research Practices
- Authorship and Plagiarism
- Research Security and International Collaborations
- Intellectual Property, Export Controls, and Trade Sanctions
More information will be provided once these workshops are launched, estimated for spring 2025.
The online CITI training modules provide a foundation on these topics, with instructor-led sessions building upon this foundation. These sessions will:
- Keep participants updated on current federal policies.
- Teach best practices in research and scholarship integrity through case studies.
- Offer guidance on ethical decision-making.
Instructor-led sessions also provide an opportunity to address participant questions and concerns.
Research Security Training
As of October 1, 2024, MSU is expanding its Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) education to include a mandatory Research Security training component. This new requirement is being implemented in phases over the next several months starting with Research Associates and Postdoctoral Researchers supported by new NSF (awarded after 8/1/2023) and all USDA-NIFA grants.
Faculty will automatically receive an enrollment notification starting October 1, 2024. The training should be completed within 30 days of notification. Once the training has been assigned, you can access it through the Ability LMS using your MSU NetID. Completion will be recorded in your Ability LMS profile.
- Visit the RECR FAQ for additional information.
- Learn more about the MSU Research Security Program.
- Contact RECREducation@msu.edu with questions.